®
Promoting
Parent
Involvement
in Teen
Driving
An In-Depth Look at the
Importance and the Initiatives
This report was made possible
by a grant from
Contributors
Promoting
Parent
Involvement
in Teen
Driving
An In-Depth Look at the
Importance and the Initiatives
This publication was prepared
with the assistance of an
Expert Panel that included:
The research and writing of
this report was done by
Joseph Cristalli
Coordinator
CT Highway Safety Office
Pam Fischer
Principal
Pam Fischer Consulting
Vicki Harper
Corporate Public Affairs
State Farm®
The report was overseen by
Suzanne Hill
Program Director, Outreach & Advocacy
CHOP
Barbara Harsha
Executive Director
GHSA
Timothy Hollister
Counselor-at-Law/Parent Advocate
Shipman & Goodwin
Jonathan Adkins
Deputy Executive Director
GHSA
Nina Jo Saint
Project Manager
TX Education Service Center
Kara Macek
Communications Manager
GHSA
John Saunders
Director
VA Highway Safety Services
The report was designed by
Jean Thatcher Shope
Research Professor
UMTRI
Tony Frye Design
Jim Wright
Highway Safety Specialist
NHTSA
May 1, 2013
The views and recommendations in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of
State Farm nor those of the individuals or organizations represented on the Expert Panel.
Table of Contents
1
2
3
4
Introduction
4
5
6
8
11
13
14
Key Concepts to Convey to Parents
The Underlying Factors: Inexperience and Adolescence
Key Risk Factors for Crashing
Graduated Driver Licensing, A Tool for Parents
Parenting Style Matters
Supervising Their Teens’ Driver Education
Promoting the Use of a Parent/Teen Driving Agreement
16
18
20
22
24
26
Overcoming the Challenges of Engaging Parents
Parents Don’t Recognize the Risks
Parents Aren’t Familiar with GDL and View it as a Guideline or Maximum Standard
Parents Don’t Have Time
Parents Believe Their Teen is a Good, Safe Driver
Parents Aren’t Necessarily the Best Role Models,
But They Don’t Want to Be Told How to Parent
28
29
30
31
31
33
Building a Good Parent Program
Risks, GDL and a Parent’s Role
Programs Guided by Behavior Change Theory
Utilizing a Program Theory
Ongoing Evaluation
Facilitated, Family-Based Programs
34
36
40
44
50
54
60
Promising Parent Programs
Checkpoints ™ : The Facilitated Program
Checkpoints: On the Web, Pediatric Referrals
New Jersey: Share the Keys
Connecticut: Building on a Mandate
Montana: Leveraging an Administrative Rule
Virginia: Making the Case for a Mandate,
Adding a New Twist to the Licensing Ceremony
Pennsylvania & Connecticut: Fitness to Drive, A Tablet in Every Exam Room
Georgia & Minnesota: PRIDE, Teen Driver Parental Awareness
Road Trips® & Steer Clear®: Promoting Practice & Safety
Apps & In-Vehicle Cameras: Checking Up on Your Teen
Illinois & New York: Electronic Parent Alerts
Michigan: STOPPED Decals
Drive It Home: Parent Website
64
70
74
78
80
82
84
Table of Contents
2
86
Conclusion
Where Do We Go From Here?
88
88
90
93
Appendix
A: Parent-Targeted Teen Driving Programs
B: A Program Theory Model for Developing a Parent-Teen Intervention
C: A Caution About Using Pre – and Post-Test Evaluation Tools
94
References
State Farm, the State Farm logo, Steer Clear, Road Trips, Road Aware, and Celebrate
My Drive are registered trademarks of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company.
1
Promoting Parent Involvement in Teen Driving
Introduction
Car crashes are the number one killer of teens
claiming an average of 3,000 young lives annually
(The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [CHOP], 2013;
Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2012). Novice
teen drivers, unlike their more experienced adult
counterparts, are four times more likely to be involved
in a fatal motor vehicle crash (Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety [IIHS], 2008). There is good news,
however, according to the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration in 2011 young driver-related
fatalities declined 4.6% and crashes fell 5.5%,
continuing the gains made over the past decade
(NHTSA, 2012). Researchers agree that Graduated
Driver Licensing (GDL) laws, now in place in all fifty
states, have been instrumental in facilitating crash
reductions ranging from 20 to 40% (Shope, 2007).
Researchers also point to the critical role parents play in helping teens survive
their most dangerous driving years.1 Children literally begin learning to drive
the minute their parents bring them home from the hospital. As they travel
in cars driven by their parents, children develop perceptions about driving,
including what it means to share the road and respect and obey traffic laws.
Numerous studies, some of which include the use of in-car cameras that
monitor both teen and parent driving, find that “people drive in ways similar
to their parents” (Shope, 2006).
1. This report takes into account that some teens do not have biological parents, but guardians
or mentors who fill the role of birth parents. Therefore, the term parent is used to represent
adults who not only address a child’s basic needs (e.g., food, clothing, education, health
care), but who provide guidance as well emotional and social support.
2
An In-Depth Look at the Importance and the Initiatives
Which raises the questions: Do parents
recognize the critical role they play in
shaping their teens’ driving behavior?
Do they know the risks for their
teens? Are they optimizing their states’
Graduated Driving Licensing program
or, for that matter, know what it is and
how it works? Are they fully equipped to
assume the role of teacher and coach,
since they’re likely to be their teens’
primary provider of in-car training?
Surveys of parents across the country
report a mixed bag of responses to
these and other questions. Clearly,
parents want to do what is best for their
teens, but when it comes to recognizing
what they should be most concerned
about, car crashes don’t always factor
into the equation. Additionally, many
parents look at their teens’ licensure
as an opportunity to relinquish the
long-held task of shuttling their children
to activities. This new found freedom
for both parent and teen does have
its advantages, but it can come with
a price if the parent fails to remain
actively engaged throughout the teen’s
formative driving years. At the same
time, many parents want help supporting
their novice driver and look to licensing
and other agencies for information and
advice. The proliferation of resources,
both in print and online, speaks not
only to the interest in the topic, but the
recognition that parents, mentors and
guardians want and need assistance.
But are these tools helpful or effective?
This publication follows on the heels
of Curbing Teen Driver Crashes: An
In-Depth Look at State Initiatives
published October 2012 with funding
from State Farm. It attempts to answer
the questions and issues described
above by delving deeper into parental
participation in teen driving. This
latest installment discusses not
only what parents need to know to
reduce their teens’ crash risk, but the
opportunities for and challenges of
engaging them in the process. It also
leverages the findings of a previously
conducted Governors Highway Safety
Association (GHSA) survey, along with
new research, to examine the current
state of the practice, identifies what
elements are essential for building
a good parent program, and makes
recommendations for continued study
that will assist states and organizations
working to advance teen driver safety.
Introduction
Parents’ expectations also factor
into how a teen drives. Parents who
set, monitor and enforce safe driving
practices have teens who are less likely
to crash and violate the law. Involved
parents, who set high expectations as
well as nurture their young drivers, will
see their children more likely to drive
safely at far greater rates than teens
with permissive or uninvolved parents
(CHOP, 2009).
This report was compiled with the
guidance of an expert panel to
help state highway safety officials,
advocates and others working in the
teen driving arena continue to move
the needle in the right direction. It
is by no means all-inclusive; there
are many parent programs that merit
highlighting, but are not included due
to space limitations. The ones chosen
for discussion in this report represent
new, cutting edge and/or model
parent engagement programs as well
as one-of-a-kind initiatives that are
showing or expected to show through
data analysis and/or peer reviewed
research promising results. (Some of
the activities were evaluated through
an analysis of crash data and parent
surveys, while others have been or are
being evaluated through peer review.)
3
Chapter One
Promoting Parent Involvement in Teen Driving
Key Concepts
to Convey
to Parents
There are essential key facts and concepts that any comprehensive program aimed at parents of teen drivers should include.
Understanding the risk factors for crashing and how GDL works to
reduce those risks combined with actionable tips on how to leverage GDL to help them supervise their teen safely through the first
years of driving, may empower parents to be effective partners in
teen driver safety.
4
1
Key Concepts to Convey to Parents
The Underlying Factors:
Inexperience
and Adolescence
Simply put, teen crash risk is impacted by
developmental and behavioral issues coupled
with inexperience. As children progress from
adolescence to adulthood, their bodies undergo
significant change. During the teenage years, often
characterized by raging hormones and boundary
pushing, teens are not only developing physically, but
emotionally. Their social lives as well as sexual identity
are keenly important, their sleep patterns change as
they tend to stay up later at night, and their ability to
learn is at an all-time high (National Institutes of Mental
Health [NIMH], 2011; Shope, 2006). Plus, it is in this
stage of development when the vast majority of young
people are learning to drive.
These and other factors impact
what happens when a teen gets
behind the wheel. And, that can be
problematic since the human brain
isn’t fully developed until the early to
mid-twenties, particularly the “prefrontal
cortex where impulse inhibition, decision
making and judgment are centered”
(Paus as cited in Shope, 2006).
Personality factors also should be
considered. Teens who thrill seek,
act aggressively, succumb to peer
pressure, or fail to view deviant
behavior as inappropriate, are more
likely to be involved in motor vehicle
crashes. Ensuring that parents are
fully informed about the impact of
personality and brain development
on crash-risk is critically important.
These factors, rather than state
licensing laws, should be of primary
concern when assessing a teens’
readiness to not only learn to drive, but
drive independently and in high-risk
situations (Shope, 2006).
While many teens crash because
of risk-taking, most crashes occur
because the novice behind the wheel
doesn’t have the skills or experience
needed to recognize a hazard and
5
Chapter One
The Underlying Factors: Inexperience and Adolescence
take corrective action. Researchers
point to driver error as the most
prevalent reason for teen crashes
with recognition (e.g., inadequate
surveillance, distraction) and decision
errors (e.g., following too closely,
driving too fast for conditions) topping
the list (Curry, Hafetz, Kallan, Winston,
& Durbin, 2011).
Parents should
also bear in
mind that
driving is a
learned activity
that takes
practice. No
matter how
intelligent,
level-headed,
respectful, or
talented a teen
may be, when it
comes to
driving the
playing field
is level.
For this reason, parents should also
bear in mind that driving is a learned
activity that takes practice. No
matter how intelligent, level-headed,
respectful, or talented a teen may be,
when it comes to driving the playing
field is level. To gain skill teens must
drive. Researchers point to the need
for novices to log at least 1,000 to
1,500 miles of driving, in a variety
of conditions and on all types of
roadways, to experience a significant
reduction in crash risk (National Safety
Council [NSC], 2009). The licensing
laws in 46 states, however, require
young drivers to accumulate a minimum
number of supervised practice driving
hours prior to licensure, rather than a
specific number of miles behind the
wheel (Governors Highway Safety
Association [GHSA], 2013). Parents
need to know that much supervised
practice, particularly during the
learner’s stage of licensure, is best.
Time is important. In the case of
driving, it can literally take three to five
years for novices to be exposed to
the myriad of driving situations they’ll
encounter on the road. Building the
muscle-memory needed to help a
driver react quickly and appropriately
in a variety of situations takes time.
Parents, therefore, should be strongly
encouraged to seek out opportunities
to continue to drive with their teens
even after they’ve secured a license.
As one parent advocate aptly noted, a
license doesn’t a safe or experienced
teen driver make, “it is up to [parents]
to be an extra filter in the process...”
(Hollister, 2012). Getting parents to
treat the intermediate stage of licensure
as an advanced learner’s permit,
rather than as a license, is an idea that
warrants consideration and study. l
Key Risk Factors
for Crashing
Parents also must be informed
about other key risk factors —
alcohol, speed, fatigue, distraction/
inattention, for example —­­that
when added to the equation
can make for a dangerous and
sometimes lethal mix.
A review of teen driver errors leading
to serious motor vehicle crashes found
that inadequate surveillance, driving
too fast for conditions and distracted
driving collectively accounted for
nearly 50% of the crashes (Curry
6
et al., 2011). It is not uncommon for
parents, however, to point to alcohol
as the leading crash causation factor.
While combining alcohol (as well as
drugs and other substances that impair
judgment and reflexes) with vehicle
operation is risky for all drivers, and
particularly so for teens due to brain
development issues, helping parents
recognize and address the most
prevalent factors tripping up their new
drivers is critical (NIMH, 2011). This
is not to say that parents shouldn’t
discuss and continually reinforce the
1
Key Risk Factors for Crashing
Distraction, although not a new issue,
has come to the forefront in the past
decade due to advances in wireless
technology. From texting and talking
on cell phones and other hand-held
devices, to relying on iPods and
GPS for entertainment and driving
directions, these devices pose risk
(cognitive, visual, manual, and auditory)
not just for teens, but all drivers.
Research, however, confirms that many
teens do not comprehend the danger;
nearly 30% of teens surveyed about
distraction did not regard taking their
eyes off the road for up to ten seconds
as unsafe behavior (Singh, 2010).
While teens
view speeding
as going “more
than 10 miles
per hour above
posted limits,”
what they fail to
understand is
the impact
speeding has
on stopping
distance.
Besides electronic devices, parents
also should be advised about how
passengers and, in particular, teens
and young adults, impact safety. While
teens look forward to driving with
their friends and parents may view
it as the much anticipated end to
years of carpooling, adding just one
passenger increases a teen driver’s
crash risk by 50 percent. Put three
or more passengers in the car, and
that “risk is nearly four times greater”
than when a teen is driving alone
(NSC, 2009). Distraction for a driver
is high as he engages in conversation,
debates song choices or comments
on what’s happening inside and
outside the vehicle with friends. In
some cases, passengers may even
physically interfere with the driver (e.g.,
grabbing the steering wheel) or their
presence may prompt the teen driver to
speed, tailgate or show off to impress
his friends (Williams & Tefft, 2012).
Recognizing the complexity of driving,
limiting passengers is essential.
Key Concepts to Convey to Parents
dangers of impaired driving. Parents
can take some solace, however, in
knowing that today’s generation of teen
drivers are far more likely to refrain
from getting behind the wheel after
drinking, than their own generation was
when they were teens (Nichols, Haire,
Solomon, Ellison-Potter, & Cosgrove,
2011).
Driving at night is also a problem. “Mile
for mile, 16 and 17-year-old drivers
are about three times more likely to
be involved in a fatal crash at night
[typically between 9 p.m. and midnight]
then during the day” (NSC, 2009). As
many teen-related activities happen
after dark, fatigue and inexperience
combine to impact novice driver
safety. Add to that a tendency for teen
nighttime driving to include passengers,
a lack of seat belt use, alcohol, and a
social atmosphere, and there’s a good
bet the ride involves far more joy, than
purpose (Hollister, 2012; NSC, 2009).
Traveling over the posted speed limit
is a factor in many teen crashes
involving injury and fatality. While
teens view speeding as going “more
than 10 miles per hour above posted
limits,” what they fail to understand is
the impact speeding has on stopping
distance (CHOP, 2012). For example,
if a vehicle traveling 40 mph in a 30
mph zone collides with another vehicle,
that 10 mph difference translates into
a 78% increase in collision energy.
Parents must recognize the dangers
associated with speeding and reinforce
the importance of their new driver
obeying posted limits. No doubt this is
a challenge, since nearly half of teens
report driving much faster than the law
allows (CHOP, 2012; TRU Research,
2009). This need for speed may stem
from the brain development issue
addressed earlier as speeding is a way
to address teen thrill seeking.
Drowsy or fatigued driving is another
problem. While it’s important for all
drivers to be well-rested, it’s critical for
teens. Experts say teens need at least
8 hours a night. Early school start times
coupled with athletics or other afterschool activities and jobs result in many
teens not getting enough sleep. One in
7
Chapter One
Key Risk Factors for Crashing
seven 16 to 24-year-olds fell asleep at
the wheel at least once during the past
year, compared with one in 10 older
drivers (Arnold & Tefft, 2012). Parents
need to ensure their teens get enough
sleep before allowing them to head out
the door with car keys in hand as well
as help them recognize the warning
signs of drowsy driving (e.g., difficulty
focusing, frequent blinking, heavyfeeling eyelids, unintentional swerving).
Despite many growing up with car
and booster seats, today’s teens
aren’t leading the way when it comes
to buckling up. While teens have
repeatedly heard the message about
the lifesaving value of seat belts (and
probably reminded their parents to
buckle up when they were children),
observational surveys indicate that
their seat belt use is lower than for any
other age group, with males and their
passengers having the lowest use rates
(Williams, McCartt, & Geary, 2003;
Williams & Shabanova, 2002). This lack
of belt use is taking its toll. In 2011 fatal
crashes, 58% of teens behind the wheel
(drivers ages 15-19 years of age driving
passenger vehicles) and 50% of their
passengers were not wearing a seat belt
(CHOP, 2013). l
Graduated Driver
Licensing (GDL),
A Tool for Parents
Materials for
parents should
emphasize that
graduated driver
licensing works
because it gets
to the heart of
why teens crash
and die on our
roadways.
8
It would be easy for parents to
throw up their hands and cry uncle
after hearing about the risk for their
teen drivers. But there is a proven
tool in place in all 50 states that is
responsible for 20 to 40% reductions
in teen crashes (Shope as cited in
Williams, 2011). First implemented in
the U.S. in the mid-1990s (even earlier
in many other modernized countries),
Graduated Driver Licensing or GDL
is a three-stage licensing system
that includes a learner or supervised
practice driving phase, an intermediate
stage that allows for unsupervised
driving but includes restrictions that
address risk, and a full licensure stage
where all provisions are lifted. Ask a
room full of parents with teen drivers
if they’ve ever heard the term GDL
and you’re likely to get a few nods of
agreement as well as blank stares.
While Graduated Driver Licensing
is codified in state laws, few
parents understand its purpose
and effectiveness at reducing
crash risk.
Before parents can leverage the
proven principles of GDL, they need
a primer that clearly and succinctly
addresses the three stages of
licensure corresponding to time
and age (e.g., minimum 6 months of
supervised practice driving starting no
earlier than age 15). Once they’ve got
the basics, helping them understand
the various provisions or restrictions
(no driving between midnight and 5
a.m., no passengers for the first six
months of unsupervised driving, no
texting) included in their states’ GDL
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL)
1
Key Concepts to Convey to Parents
program should come next. Finally,
facilitating a discussion about how
these restrictions correspond to the
risks outlined previously, where the
dots between restriction (e.g., no
driving after 11 p.m.) and risk (e.g.,
crash risk goes up at night for teens)
are literally connected, will help
parents begin to understand the how
and why.
States looking to develop and/
or revise teen driving and GDL
educational materials for parents
should emphasize that graduated
driver licensing works because it
gets to the heart of why teens crash
and die on our roadways. At the very
least, parents needs to know that
GDL may:
zz delay full licensure (a
good thing because of the
developmental and behavioral
issues detailed earlier);
zz restrict or limit passengers
and ban texting and/or the
use of electronic devices (key
sources of teen distraction);
zz keep teens off the road late
at night (when they’re likely to
be fatigued and/or joyriding);
and
zz require seat belt use (critical
due to teens’ elevated crash
risk and the lifesaving benefit
of proper restraint).
All states also spell out the penalties
(e.g., fines, fees, license suspension,
additional training) for failing to comply
with these and other provisions. Again
parents should know what these are
since they’re likely to impact teens’
license status, mobility and insurance
rates. Coupling that information with a
reminder that driving is a privilege, not
a right, is also a key message parents
need to hear and convey repeatedly to
their teens.
9
Chapter One
Parents must
understand that
not all state
GDL programs
are created
equal.
Most parents
rely on their
teen’s birthday,
rather than
their better
judgment and
instinct to
determine if
their teen is
ready [to drive].
10
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL), A Tool for Parents
Parental support for GDL programs is strong, particularly once they make the linkage
between the risk and the various provisions’ impact on improving their teens’ safety and
subsequently put them into practice (NSC, 2009). A recent national survey of parents
found general support for even stronger licensing laws for teens that have later permit
and licensing ages, more practice hours, and longer timeframes for nighttime driving and
passenger restrictions (Williams, Braitman, & McCartt, 2011). That’s good news. But
parents must understand that not all state GDL programs are created equal. A NHTSA
evaluation of GDL programs found that the most effective for reducing fatalities contained
at least five of the following components (Compton & Ellison-Porter, 2008):
zz
Minimum age of 15 1/2 for obtaining a learner’s permit
zz
Minimum waiting period after obtaining a learner’s permit of at least
three months before applying for an intermediate license
zz
Minimum of 30 hours of supervised practice driving
zz
Minimum age of 16 1/2 for obtaining an intermediate license
zz
Nighttime driving restriction during intermediate stage
zz
Passenger restriction during intermediate stage
zz
Minimum age of 17 for full licensure
No GDL program is perfect, that’s
why traffic safety and teen driving
safety advocates should make parents
aware of their laws’ shortcomings
so that parents can make fully
informed decisions about when their
children should start the learners and
independent driving stages. That
starts with the age requirements for
obtaining a driver license, which are not
based on science, but are minimum or
bright line standards (established for
clarity and objectivity). While these
standards dictate the earliest age at
which a teen may begin each stage of
the GDL program, they don’t address
the bigger issue – readiness to drive.
Factors parents should assess include:
teens’ ability to understand the risks,
handle the stress, and control the
vehicle, along with their willingness
– some teens are simply too afraid to
drive (Hollister, 2012). Most parents
rely on their teen’s birthday, rather than
their better judgment and instinct to
determine if their teen truly is ready.
Besides addressing age, parents also
need to recognize that many GDL
provisions are insufficient when it comes
to addressing teen crash risk. The
vast majority of states, for example,
require teens to be off the road by
11 p.m. or 12 a.m. Research clearly
shows, however, that a 9 or 10 p.m.
nighttime driving restriction is more
appropriate for reducing teen crash risk.
Communicating to parents that they
should be supplementing their states’
teen driving laws with more stringent
requirements, rather than just complying
with them is critical. In addition, if a
state’s GDL program is strengthened, all
parents should be notified about what
changed and why via a simple, succinct
statement that explains how the change
will positively impact their teens’ safety. l
1
Key Concepts to Convey to Parents
Parenting
Style Matters
Teens who have
authoritative
parents are half
as likely to crash,
71% less likely to
drive intoxicated,
and 30% less
likely to use
a cell phone
when driving.
Young driver behavior experts agree
that parents are pivotal to the success
of Graduated Driver Licensing. Once
parents know and embrace it, they can
become effective GDL champions as
well as chief enforcers of the provisions
of the system. And this is important,
since parents, not police, offer the
first line of support when it comes
to encouraging compliance with
teen driving laws and adopting
safety practices.
less likely to use a cell phone when
driving. These same teens are 50%
more likely to buckle up and recognize
why doing so is important (CHOP,
2009). Authoritative parents provide
a warm supportive environment with
clear boundaries giving them enough
structured support to allow them to
make good choices. l
CHOP research has found that
compared to teens who perceive their
parents as uninvolved, teens who
perceive their parents as authoritative
are half as likely to crash, 71% less
likely to drive intoxicated, and 30%
11
Chapter One
12
Key Concepts to Convey to Parents
1
Key Concepts to Convey to Parents
Supervising
Their Teens’
Driver Education
Parents may rely on high school and/
or commercial driver education and
training programs to help their teens
become good and/or safe drivers.
They should know their state driver
education and training requirements
(e.g., classroom theory, behind the
wheel instruction, practice hours)
and learn what is and isn’t addressed
in the classroom and the car. Most
importantly, they should be advised that
completion of these requirements
and instruction are just the
beginning of the learning process.
Because the
first two years
of driving are
the most
dangerous for
teens, parents
should practice
with their
teens even
after licensure.
Since most programs only cover the
basics parents need to step in and
help their teens learn higher order
skills. (Behind the wheel training in
driver education, for instance, may
not come close to adding up to the
number of hours required to meet their
state’s supervised practice driving
requirements.) The endgame should
be to help novice drivers recognize
potentially dangerous situations and
react in a manner that demonstrates
an understanding of key safe driving
behaviors and principles (Goodwin,
Margolis, Foss, & Waller, 2010).
such as unfamiliar routes, busier
roadways and inclement weather. The
most appropriate time for a teen to
experience a new driving situation such
as driving in snow or rush hour traffic
is when a parent or more experienced
motorist is in the car and can offer help
and guidance – not when the teen is
driving alone.
Because the first two years of driving
are the most dangerous for teens,
parents should continue to practice
different drives with their teens even
after licensure (NSC, 2009). In fact,
closely monitoring independent driving
as well as seeking out opportunities
to continue supervised driving during
the first 30-90 days of independent
driving, when crash risk is especially
high, are critical (Mayhew, Simpson,
& Pak, 2003; McCartt, Shabanova, &
Leaf, 2003). l
Just like athletes and musicians work
to perfect a sport or instrument through
repeated practice, driving requires lots
of practice to be competent. Taking
advantage of routine trips to school and
the grocery store is a great way to help
teens practice. But parents should
also look for opportunities to expose
their teens to varied driving conditions
13
Chapter One
Key Concepts to Convey to Parents
Promoting
the Use of a
Parent/Teen
Driving Agreement
What is most
important about
the process is
that the parent/
teen driving
agreement has
prompted a
discussion and an
ongoing dialogue
about safety.
Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other safety
and health-related organizations strongly recommend parents use an
agreement that clearly outlines the rules of the road with their
new drivers (2013). Examples of parent/teen driving agreements (PTDA)
are available online and most cover the key risk factors for teens including
driving at night, passengers, cell phones and texting, seat belts, and the use
of alcohol.
Parents must recognize that what is in the agreement should involve
a cooperative rather than dictatorial process. As parents and teens
work together on the development of the document, they’ll likely make
compromises. But what is most important about the process is that the
agreement prompts a discussion and ongoing dialogue about safety
(Hollister, 2012).
Common Elements of a PTDA
Why the agreement is important
The language clearly
and succinctly
addresses the risk
for the teen driver
with a focus on
keeping him safe.
14
Car crashes are the number one killer of teens and novice teen drivers
are four times more likely to be involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash.
Completing driver training and passing a test doesn’t mean a teen is a safe
driver. Failure to comply with state laws and to recognize the responsibility
of licensure could result in property damage, injury or death to a teen or
others. These rules outline limits to keep a teen driver safe.
Promoting the Use of a Parent/Teen Driving Agreement
Rules addressing the leading hazards for teens drivers
Passengers: I will transport only
passenger(s) for the first
Nighttime driving: I may not drive between
p.m. and
Key Concepts to Convey to Parents
Outlines, at
minimum, the
provisions in
a state’s GDL
and other motor
vehicles laws.
1
months of licensure.
a.m.
Seat belts: I’ll always wear my seatbelt and make sure all passengers do, too.
Distraction: I won’t use any electronic devices, hand-held or hands-free, while driving.
Drowsy driving: I won’t get behind the wheel if I’m tired or haven’t had sufficient sleep.
Reckless driving: I’ll obey all speed limits, traffic signals and rules of the road,
refrain from tailgating and carefully scan the road.
Impaired driving: I’ll never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Road Conditions: I won’t drive in inclement weather or on unfamiliar roads.
Consequences should
always be tied to
driving and not involve
things like grades,
allowance or chores.
The teen’s share of
insurance, gas and/
or maintenance are
outlined here.
Consequences for violating the rules
If I violate any of these rules my driving privileges will be suspended for
days in
addition to any suspensions or postponements outlined in state laws. If I violate the
suspension, I’ll lose my license for
additional days or indefinitely.
Financial and other responsibilities
I’ll contribute
per month to help insure the car, fill the tank when it’s below
and keep it clean inside and out.
Special circumstances
If I’m involved in a crash that is determined not to be my fault, I won’t lose my
driving privileges.
Teen can call a parent,
no questions asked,
for a ride if he is ever
concerned about
getting into a car as a
driver or passenger.
Safe ride clause
Teens who share a
car with other family
members are 50% less
likely to be involved in a
crash compared to teens
with primary access.
Ask for the keys
Both the teen and his
parents should sign
the agreement to
confirm that they’re
all on the same page.
At anytime and for any reason, I may call for a ride if I’m concerned about my safety
and it will not be a violation of this agreement.
I will always ask permission to use a car, even if it’s my own, and advise a parent
where I’m going, who I’m going with, what route I’ll be taking, and when I’ll be home.
Teen and parent(s) signatures
We acknowledge the importance of what is agreed to above and will not waiver
from our commitment to safe driving.
Teen Driver
Date
Parent
Date
Parent
Date
15
Chapter Two
Promoting Parent Involvement in Teen Driving
Overcoming
the Challenges
of Engaging
Parents
Few parents would argue that it’s not their responsibility to
ensure their children’s health and wellbeing. But when it comes
to teens obtaining a driver license, safety sometimes takes a back
seat as families get caught up in this new and exciting milestone.
States and teen safe driving safety advocates face five difficult,
but not insurmountable, challenges in engaging parents.
16
2
Overcoming the Challenges of Engaging Parents
17
1
Chapter Two
Overcoming the Challenges of Engaging Parents
The Challenge:
Parents Don’t
Recognize the Risks
Despite 59% of parents being aware that crashes are the number one killer of
teens, just a quarter of those parents talked about safe driving with their children
(TRU Research, 2007). Instead, parents fixate on kidnappings, school snipers,
terrorists, dangerous strangers, and drugs. This is usually precipitated by media
coverage of sensational events, prompting parents to focus on rare dangers,
rather than car crashes, which happen more frequently and garner less attention
(Voss, 2010). In addition to overall risk, a majority of parents also fail to recognize
specific risk factors for novice teen drivers – driving at night, with friends and in
unsafe conditions (TRU Research, 2007).
18
Educating parents about what
they should focus on is the key to
overcoming this challenge. Research
points to mass media, with a strong
emphasis on television news and
advertising, as an effective way to
get parents to talk about and seek
out teen driving information. Parents
agree, indicating that widespread and
frequent focus in the media means an
issue is important (Sprout Strategy,
2011). However, most state and local
agencies don’t have the funds to mount
and sustain extensive or long-term
marketing efforts.
and public health organizations such
as the CDC not only have websites,
but brochures, guides, posters,
fact sheets, and training programs
available for download by parents and
community-based organizations (a list
of free parent-targeted teen driving
programs is provided as Appendix
A in this report). While these tools,
according to the American Association
of Motor Vehicle Administrators’
(AAMVA) GDL Best Practices report,
are helpful for reaching parents,
parent orientation and training
programs are preferred (2009).
In lieu of this, many state highway
safety offices and licensing agencies
have developed brochures and/or
guides to help parents understand
the risks for their new teen drivers.
Websites are another tool for
disseminating this critical information.
In addition to states, insurance
companies, traffic safety entities
Only four states – Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Montana, Virginia – require
some form of parent education as part
of their novice driver education and/or
licensing process. (Read more about
Massachusetts’ program in GHSA’s
Curbing Teen Driver Crashes report;
the three other state programs are
described in the Promising Parent
2
States reluctant
to push for a
parent education
mandate for fear
of a backlash, may
be misguided.
In Connecticut,
87% of the parents
who attend the
mandatory
orientation
course agree that
participation
should be required
Programs section of this report starting
on page 34). States reluctant to push
for a parent education mandate for
fear of a backlash, may be misguided.
In Connecticut, 87% of the parents
who attend the mandatory orientation
course agree that participation should
be required (The DMV Center for Teen
Safe Driving, 2012).
Overcoming the Challenges of Engaging Parents
59%
Despite
of parents being aware
that crashes are the
number one killer of
teens, just a quarter of
those parents talked
about safe driving
with their children.
physicians to deliver the crash risk
message. Working in partnership
with the American Academy of
Pediatrics, researchers, public health
officials, and states are studying the
impact of pediatricians delivering
a brief intervention to parents and
teens during office visits. Early
feedback is promising (read more
starting on pages 40 and 64). l
A parent program instructor in
Massachusetts, meanwhile, says, “The
dialogue that goes on after we’ve
ended the formal training program
tells me that parents are walking out
with far more knowledge then when
they walked in.” In New Jersey, where
a state highway safety office (SHSO)
developed voluntary program has been
conducted since 2010, facilitators
repeatedly hear participants say, “All
parents should have to attend this.”
Besides parent programs, some
states are enlisting the help of
19
2
Chapter Two
Overcoming the Challenges of Engaging Parents
The Challenge:
Parents Aren’t
Familiar with GDL
and View it as a
Guideline or
Maximum Standard
Today’s parents didn’t grow up with a multi-stage licensing system and many
held their permits for just a few weeks before being granted a driver license. So
when it comes to understanding how a state’s GDL program works, nearly three
quarter of parents are in the dark (IIHS, 2010). This lack of knowledge leads to
a variety of parental objections ranging from it discriminates against teens and
is inconvenient or unnecessary, to car crashes are a part of growing up and I
survived. Additionally, many parents view their state’s teen driving law
as a guideline or the maximum to shoot for rather than a minimum
standard to exceed (Sprout Strategy, 2011).
There’s plenty of information readily
available explaining what GDL is
and how it works. Some resources
provide general information about
GDL programs, while others cover
specific state initiatives (some link
to state law databases on websites
such as GHSA). GDL is complicated,
particularly in states with numerous
provisions that are often dictated by
age and time. Ensuring that what’s
provided is both accurate and easily
understandable is essential. States,
therefore, should enlist the help of
parents to review all materials before
they’re finalized and distributed.
State licensing and highway safety
20
offices and other organizations that
produce GDL materials should also
remember that while parents are likely
to carry home government-supplied
guides, there is no guarantee they’ll
review them. Facilitated parent
programs are the optimal way to clear
up the confusion about how and why
GDL programs work. Parents who
receive materials in conjunction with
facilitated guidance (at a parent-teen
orientation program, for instance)
are more likely to recall receiving
them and, more importantly, use them
(Zakrajsek, Shope, Ouimet, Wang, &
Simons-Morton, 2009). Additionally,
these programs provide an opportunity
2
Overcoming the Challenges of Engaging Parents
Parents who
receive
materials in
conjunction
with facilitated
guidance
are more likely
to recall
receiving them
and, more
importantly,
use them
to help parents make the linkage (as
described on page 8) between the
restrictions and the risks. Once they’ve
got that, GDL is more likely to be
viewed as a supportive program rather
than a government dictate.
driver education and training to include
a parent component in their curriculum
standards and provide instructional
materials and facilitator training for
educators. l
Who delivers this message is important,
too. In addition to pediatricians
(discussed in the previous challenge),
driver education instructors are also
viewed as an effective and appropriate
source for educating parents about the
proven principles of GDL (the results
of a study confirming this are detailed
on pages 38-39). This presents
precedence for states that mandate
21
3
Chapter Two
Overcoming the Challenges of Engaging Parents
The Challenge:
Parents Don’t
Have Time
Today’s families are busy. In two parent households both mom and dad typically
work and some hold multiple jobs. Lack of time may be even greater in singleparent homes, particularly those with multiple children. Making time to find and
review teen safe driving information, participate in a program or drive with a teen
during the learner’s phase can be difficult. Asking parents to practice after a teen
is licensed may be viewed as not only unnecessary, but impossible.
Parents are more likely to be reactive
than proactive when it comes to
obtaining teen driving information
because their time often isn’t their
own. While that doesn’t mean they’re
not interested, parents typically rely
on others – driver education teachers
and instructors, licensing agencies,
insurance companies, and schools – to
introduce the topic (Sprout Strategy,
2011). States should partner with
these entities to provide clear, concise,
and succinct information that can easily
be disseminated to parents through
face-to-face, facilitated interaction.
States that rely on websites to convey
teen driving information to busy parents
should not assume that parents will
visit or, for that matter, even know
about these resources. Highway safety
offices and others looking to generate
greater parental awareness of parent
visits to online portals should consider
the findings of a study assessing
the best way to drive parents to the
Michigan Checkpoints™ website.
Researchers used a three-phase
22
promotional strategy that included
placing a link to the website on partner
sites (e.g., DMV, SHSO, high schools,
PTA, law enforcement); asking partners
to distribute promotional materials, air
public service announcements, and
distribute press releases; and using paid
radio spots, interactive website banner
ads and Facebook advertisements to
determine what tactic generated the
best return on investment. While traffic
to the website increased incrementally
from each phase to the next and
Facebook advertisements generated
the largest spike in traffic (2,515 visits
over 3-months), the average visit from
Facebook lasted only 15 seconds.
Visits generated by press releases
resulted in a more modest spike in
traffic (379 visits over 2-weeks), but
the average visit was 1:49 minutes
(Bingham, Shope, Zakrajsek, Esdale, &
Scarpetta, 2012).
There is strong parental (70%) and teen
(60%) support for facilitated orientation
and education programs, but attendance
is often low (Williams & Tefft, 2012).
2
These carrots, along with monetary
incentives (see the Steer Clear program
on page 74), are proven to bring them
in. But states also should take the time
to identify other potential roadblocks
– language and cultural barriers, for
instance – that in addition to time, could
be hampering parents from participating.
When it comes
to learning to
drive parents
should be
informed that
professional
driver education
and training
are just the
beginning of
a lifelong
learning
process.
When it comes to learning to drive,
whether conveyed in print, online or via
a facilitated program, parents should
be informed that professional driver
education and training are just the
beginning, not the end of the learning
process. Driver education teachers
and driving school instructors should be
enlisted to help parents understand this
as well as identify what is most likely to
trip up their teens and offer guidance
and communication tips. The latter is
important since novice drivers often
think their parents are yelling at them
when they attempt to convey information
from the passenger seat.
that teens are exposed to progressively
more challenging scenarios (e.g., longer
trips on unfamiliar routes).
States should look to build and/or
identify programs (see the Road Trips
program on page 74) that provide
guidance and strategies to help parents
advance their teens from the basics
to more complex, higher-order driving
skills during the time element built into
a state’s GDL. While 93% of parents
believe they’re prepared to take on this
task, research using in-car cameras
clearly shows they’re not. Vehicle control,
rather than a focus on developing skills
that help teens become safe drivers,
dominates the supervised practice
driving sessions (Goodwin et al., 2010;
TRU Research, 2007). Additionally,
states should actively promote continued
parent-teen driving sessions during the
next phase by encouraging parents to
put their intermediate license holder in
the driver’s seat on family trips. l
Overcoming the Challenges of Engaging Parents
Despite families being busy, there are
ways, in addition to state mandates, to
bolster attendance. In some states,
high schools link participation at a teen
driving program to parking privilege
and/or prom attendance (see the
Share the Keys program on page 44).
Others host teen driving information
nights where driving lessons and auto
club memberships are raffled off and/
or students who attend with a parent
receive extra credit in driver education
or another subject area.
At the same time, helping parents
recognize that teens learn to drive by
driving is essential. Taking advantage
of every opportunity to get their teens
behind the wheel to practice should be
paramount for parents. But lack of time
impacts the type of driving – typically
short trips on familiar roads – many
teens are exposed to in the permit
phase. That’s a good start, but planning
and commitment are needed to ensure
23
4
Chapter Two
Overcoming the Challenges of Engaging Parents
The Challenge:
Parents Believe
Their Teen is a
Good, Safe Driver
Parents generally recognize that teens aren’t good drivers, but often exempt their
own children. “Eighty-eight percent trust their teen to drive safely, while
55% believe that if their teen got into a crash, it would be someone
else’s fault” (TRU Research, 2007). At the same time, while there’s general
support among parents for restrictions addressed via GDL laws, “when it comes to
their own children, some parents don’t want to apply those same restrictions that
they’d support for teenagers in general” (IIHS, 2010).
All teens start
the licensing
process as
beginners with
an inordinately
high-crash risk.
Parents who
recognize this
will be better
equipped to
help their
novice drivers.
All teens start the licensing process
as beginners with an inordinately
high-crash risk. Parents who recognize
this as fact and not as a personal
shortcoming will be better equipped to
help their novice driver overcome that
risk and more positively embrace the
proven principles of GDL. Research
conducted with focus groups, found
that using “dramatic, real [teen driving]
stories and statistics” is an effective
way to “motivate parents to want to take
action and be more involved” (Sprout
Strategy, 2011). In addition, “realistic,
tangible, honest,” and simple stories
that are “dramatic, not soft” not only
get parents’ attention, but engage them
emotionally and bring the “threat closer
to home” (Sprout Strategy, 2011).
Holding firm on the rules isn’t easy
when a parent’s adult peers don’t
have similar practices. Nearly half
of parents say they’re influenced by
more lenient parents, while 38% often
24
disagree with their spouse about
driving ground rules for their teens,
and a quarter admit to allowing their
teen, against their better judgment, to
drive. For this reason, states should
leverage empathy from peers to
convey information about teen driving
and recognize that moms, due to
their “innate protective instinct,” are
the target audience (TRU Research,
2007).
Enlist parents, particularly moms, who
have had success in using authoritative
parenting (described earlier on page
11) as well as particular tactics and/
or approaches with their own teens
or younger adults to help deliver the
message (see the PRIDE program
on page 70). They’ll not only be
better able to relate to the audience,
but will add relevancy and reality by
sharing stories that are likely to strike
a chord with parents. In the case of
non-English speaking and/or culturally
2
diverse audiences, seek out facilitators
who speak the language as well as
understand the community dynamics.
These parents should also be tapped
to dispel their peers’ beliefs about what
teens are doing behind the wheel. For
example, recent distracted driving
research confirms that parents are
grossly underestimating how much
their teens text and drive. Teens are
reading or sending text messages 26
times more often than parents think
(University of Michigan Transportation
Research Institute/Toyota Motor Sales,
USA, [UMTRI/TMS], 2012). While
parents often cite this unsafe behavior
as a concern, regularly reinforcing
this statistic through peers as well the
media is necessary to move parents
from supporters to active enforcers of
a cell phone/texting restriction. States
should encourage parents to monitor
their teens cell phone use as well as
driving records (see several examples
on pages 80-81) to get a true picture
of teen driving behaviors.
Advising parents about the benefits
of sticking with restrictions on early
independent driving should be a key
tenet of outreach efforts. New NHTSAfunded research investigating the
impact of parent engagement programs
on teen driver safety found that there
are currently no interventions that
adequately address this issue. States, at
the very least, should recommend that
parents not get lulled into a false sense
of safety when it comes to their teens’
driving and ease up on or tailor the time
elements or restrictions. Instead, they
should guide parents to complete every
phase and adhere to every restriction
of the GDL program and explain why
(Scopatz, Hilger, Vecchi, Vanlaar,
Mayhew, & Pezoldt, 2012). l
Overcoming the Challenges of Engaging Parents
States...should
recommend that
parents not get
lulled into a
false sense of
safety when it
comes to their
teens’ driving
and ease up on
or tailor the time
elements
or restrictions
[of GDL].
Parents are more likely to be aware of
the dangers of cell phones and texting
due to heightened media coverage.
But states, in partnership with the
media and other key influencers such
as pediatricians and driver education
professionals, should actively promote
parents holding the line on teens driving
at night and be even more emphatic
when it comes to limiting passengers.
According to research conducted on
behalf of the AAA Foundation for
Traffic Safety, “among fatal crashes
involving 16 and 17-year-old drivers...
speeding, alcohol use, late-night driving,
lack of a valid driver’s license, seatbelt
non-use, and responsibility for the crash
were more prevalent when teenage
passengers were present than when the
driver was alone, and the prevalence of
these factors...increased as the number
of passengers increased” (Williams et
al, 2012).
25
5
Chapter Two
Overcoming the Challenges of Engaging Parents
The Challenge:
Parents Aren’t
Necessarily the
Best Role Models,
But They Don’t
Want to Be Told
How to Parent
Telling teens to refrain from a restricted or unsafe behavior while driving may go
in one ear and out the other if the teen sees a parent engaged in the prohibited
activity. The same holds true for GDL. If parents scoff at graduated driver
licensing, teens most likely will, too. Parents, however, don’t want to be told how
to parent and view GDL as doing just that.
What parents
do behind
the wheel
significantly
impacts how
their teens will
behave when
they’re in the
driver seat.
26
What parents do behind the wheel,
particularly when it comes to risky
behaviors, significantly impacts
how their teens will behave when
they’re in the driver seat (UMTRI/
TMS, 2012). Parent programs should
include specifics on how to lead by
example and refrain from unsafe
behaviors – talking on a cell phone,
texting, speeding, driving unbelted,
and driving after drinking. Inviting
teens to rate their parents’ driving
or identify an unsafe behavior their
parent engages in when behind the
wheel, is one technique used to foster
discussion about parental influence in
a facilitated setting (see the PRIDE
program on page 70). Providers
should tread carefully. The goal isn’t
to alienate parents, but to help them
recognize that their teens (and their
other children) are watching. The
exercise should convey to parents the
importance of “always be[ing] the driver
you want your teen to be” (UMTRI/
TMS, 2012).
Rather than telling parents how to do
their job, states and advocates should
focus instead on a positive call to
action. For instance, suggesting that
they control the keys, by requiring
teens to ask for them, will cut their
teens’ crash risk. Inviting a parent and
teen to participate in a role playing
exercise where the latter asks the
former for permission to take the car,
is an effective way to make this point.
2
Convey to parents
the importance of
always being the
driver you want
your teen to be.
The ensuing dialogue provides parents
the opportunity to get comfortable
reinforcing the rules, while allowing
teens the freedom they desire. The
Share the Keys program (described on
page 44) includes this exercise as well
as several others to help parents.
Overcoming the Challenges of Engaging Parents
Parent programs
should include
specifics on how
to lead by example
and refrain from
unsafe behaviors
– talking on a
cell phone, texting,
speeding, driving
unbelted, and
driving after
drinking.
GDL program and take on the role of
champion and chief enforcer. Hearing
about this collectively not only ensures
consistency in message, but can help
prompt ongoing discussion and parent
buy-in. l
If parents approach practicing GDL in
the home “with the attitude of working
[with your teen] to make safety the
top priority,” the odds are it will be a
positive experience for both parties
(Hollister, 2012). At the same time,
parents have to be prepared for push
back not only from their teens, but their
spouses (it’s not uncommon for moms
and dads to have different parenting
styles), their teens’ friends parents,
and others in the community. The
benefits associated with holding firm,
however, far outweigh the negatives.
Hosting teen driving education
nights for parents in schools or other
community-based settings ensures that
they get the facts about teen driving,
learn how to leverage their states’
27
Chapter Three
Promoting Parent Involvement in Teen Driving
Building a
Good Parent
Program
28
3
Key Concepts to Convey to Parents
Helping parents help their teens become safe
drivers so they don’t crash is the underlying goal of
most education programs directed at parents. But
what constitutes a good parent program? States
currently offering or thinking about developing a teen
driving program aimed at parents should consider
incorporating the following elements or they run the
risk of implementing an initiative that is not only a
poor use of resources, but one that may do more
harm than good:
Elements of a Good
Parent Program
✔✔Discusses the risks for novice teen drivers
✔✔Explains how and why GDL works to address that risk
✔✔Reviews the critical role parents play in teaching, supporting
& managing their novice drivers
✔✔Explains the importance of and provides an opportunity to
try out a parent/teen driving agreement
✔✔Employs a theory-based program model that includes
ongoing evaluation
✔✔Delivered by trained, educated facilitators
✔✔Emphasizes parents and teens working together for safety
Risks, GDL and a Parent’s Role
A parent program should, at minimum, include a discussion about why teens crash,
how and why state graduated driver license programs work, and the critical role
parents play in teaching, supporting and managing their new drivers (detailed
in the first section of this report). The recently adopted Novice Teen Driver
Education and Training Administrative Standards, developed and endorsed by
NHTSA, AAA, Driver Education Training Association, Driving School Association
of the Americas, American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association, ,
29
Chapter Three
A parent
program should,
at minimum,
include a
discussion about
why teens crash,
how and why
state graduated
driver license
programs work,
and the critical
role parents play
in teaching,
supporting and
managing their
new drivers.
Building a Good Parent Program
GHSA, Transportation Research Board, and AAMVA, call on states to require
parents to attend either a stand-alone seminar or a session provided at the start
of a teen’s driver education program that outlines “known best practices of GDL
and parental involvement” that include: (NHTSA, 2009):
zz managing all phases of the learning to drive process from permit to full
licensure so that a parent can determine not only whether the teen is
ready to begin driving but to advance from one stage to the next;
zz supervising practice driving for at least 6 months that provides, at
minimum, weekly opportunities to accumulate at least 50 hours of
practice under increasingly challenging circumstances;
zz supervising an extended intermediate license phase that restricts high
risk driving (e.g., passengers and at night) until the GDL minimum time
requirements have been met and parents deem the teen is ready to take
on high risk driving alone; and
zz negotiating and adopting a parent/teen driving agreement that clearly
spells out the expectations, restrictions and consequences that “will
serve as the basis for the teen to earn and for the parent to grant
progressively broader driving privileges.”
States are not required to adopt or adhere to these standards. To date Maryland,
Oregon, Vermont, Delaware, and Kansas have participated in driver education
assessments, coordinated by NHTSA in partnership with SHSOs, which compare
the state’s current program standards to the novice driver standards. While none
of these states require parents to attend a teen driving program, Oregon and
Maryland call for parent meetings or nights and several Delaware high schools
offer a parent seminar or pre-course during an open house. Oregon is the only
one that provides teaching materials as part of its Risk Prevention Curriculum to
assist facilitators in addressing best practices with parents (Lewis, Prudhomme,
Robinson, Saint, Simmons, & Wigand, 2010).
Programs Guided by Behavior Change Theory
States seeking parent program guidance beyond the National Standards would
do well to borrow from Checkpoints (described in-depth beginning on page
36), which is grounded in program theory. The intervention, which is specifically
designed to complement graduated driver licensing, encourages parents to
establish stricter limits than their state’s GDL provisions as their teens prepare to
move from supervised to independent driving. The cornerstone of the program is
a parent/teen driving agreement that focuses on nighttime driving, passengers,
high-speed roads, and weather conditions. The program uses Protection
Motivation Theory (PMT) and persuasive communication techniques to encourage
parents and teens to work together to establish four, three-month Checkpoints ™
over a one-year period that gradually increases driving privileges as teens gain
experience and skill (Zakrajsek, Shope, Greenspan, Wang, Bingham, & SimonsMorton, in press).
An understanding of PMT is critical for explaining the program’s success. In a
nutshell, the theory focuses on identifying a potential threat (teen car crashes)
30
Building a Good Parent Program
Building a Good Parent Program
Having parents
and teens work
together to
complete one
section of the
agreement in a
facilitated
setting allows
parents to test
drive this tool.
3
and the behavioral options (e.g., limit night time driving, passengers) available to
help diminish that threat. It also addresses the seriousness of the threat (teens are
four times more likely to crash than any other age group) and focuses on helping
the person determine how to cope with or address that threat (try out a parent/
teen driving agreement). This last point is critical since people often have concerns
about their ability to successfully carry out a particular recommendation. Having
parents and teens work together to complete one section of the agreement in a
facilitated setting allows parents to test drive this tool. This is important because
the agreement is proven not only to spark parental engagement, but prompt
behavior by teens that reduces their crash risk.
Utilizing a Program Theory
The Young Driver Research team at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention
at CHOP employ a program theory for much of their work including parenttargeted interventions. This is not to be confused with behavior change theories
described above. Instead, a program theory guides how a particular intervention is
designed, developed, delivered, and evaluated rather than guiding how a person’s or
community’s behavior will be changed by an intervention. Program theory captures
the path of influence through which the intervention is intended to work, making
the links between the behavior change model and the associated intervention
components. This allows you to evaluate and refine the effectiveness of individual
components. Six steps (see Appendix B for a more detailed overview of these
steps) are useful to follow in executing a program theory:
zz set a key health outcome (a clearly defined and measurable
long-term vision);
zz identify behavioral objectives linked to the key health
outcomes;
zz identify the target constructs that influence adoption of
the behavioral objectives;
zz design and develop intervention content that address
the constructs;
zz evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions; and
zz refine the interventions and behavior change model,
as needed.
Many groups have benefitted from an ouside expert’s guidance in applying program
theory to their parent-targeted initiatives and have found successful outcomes.
States and safety advocates inexperienced with program theory and interested in
utilizing one, may want to seek assistance from such an individual or organization.
Ongoing Evaluation
Evaluation is an essential component of a good parent program. Evaluation should be
ongoing and assess whether a program is achieving the desired outcomes so that it
can be tweaked or retooled as needed. Many programs fall short when it comes to this
critical component because evaluation isn’t considered on the front end.
31
Chapter Three
Building a Good Parent Program
States should ask themselves what they want to evaluate before building a program.
For example, if the program’s intent is to increase parental knowledge of teen driving
risks and how GDL works to address that risk, then this should be addressed in the
intervention as well as incorporated into the evaluation.
A change in
knowledge,
beliefs and
intentions is a
helpful metric,
but not a
guarantee of
the desired
behavior
change.
A common measurement approach is a pre-survey or test that gauges a participant’s
current knowledge or practices prior to the start of program and then a post-test at the
conclusion to determine if their understanding has increased and/or their intentions
have changed. This can be a simple, low-cost way to assess if the information provided
is resonating with the participants and possibly prompting future action. It’s important
to note that a change in knowledge, beliefs and intentions is a helpful metric, but not a
guarantee of the desired behavior change (learn more about the pitfalls of pre – and
post-test measures in Appendix C). Conducting an experimental study with follow-up
surveys three and/or six months after the intervention to help confirm if it was lasting is
a better way to gauge program outcome and impact.
In addition to assessing changes in knowledge and/or behavior, researchers also
suggest evaluating the process to determine if the program is being delivered as
expected. Evaluation would address attendance, quality of delivery and materials, and
environmental factors. Questions could include:
zz How many were in the audience?
zz Did they stay the entire time as well as actively participate in
the discussion?
zz Did they receive and take home the materials?
zz What is the education level of the staffer and was s/he sufficiently trained to
facilitate the program? What facilitation methods were
used and did they resonate with participants?
zz Do the materials (e.g., hand-outs, videos) support what is
presented during the program?
zz Are the materials easy to use, understand and of value to the participants?
zz Was the lighting sufficient?
zz Was the room too hot, too cold?
zz Did the audio-visual equipment work properly?
zz Could the facilitator and participants be heard?
Some providers attempt to make the linkage between participation in a particular
program and reductions in crashes and violations. Providers need to keep in mind that
crashes and violations can be affected by a number of variables (e.g., changes in GDL
laws, increased media coverage, stepped-up enforcement, weather) beyond the scope
of their program. For this reason, state highway safety offices and other entities
should be careful when drawing any conclusions about a program’s impact on what is
happening on the road. Associations can be drawn to crash data, but not causal links.
To gauge the latter, a sophisticated research design and large sample size are needed.
Additionally, the crash and violation data of teens whose parents participated in the
intervention should be compared with that of teens whose parents didn’t receive the
32
Building a Good Parent Program
3
Facilitated
programs that
engage parents
and teens
together are
shown to
positively
impact the
former’s role in
coaching and
monitoring their
novice driver
and the
latter’s safety.
Building a Good Parent Program
same intervention (a control group) to fully understand impact. Factoring the
inclusion of a control group into the program as its being built reaffirms the
importance of thinking about evaluation at the onset, not late in the game,
and ensures there’s money in the budget for this important metric.
Facilitated, Family-Based Programs
Facilitated programs that engage parents and teens together are shown to
positively impact the formers’ role in coaching and monitoring their novice
driver and the latter’s safety. Research studies involving families of teen
drivers in the U.S. and abroad, confirm the importance of having parents and
teens partner on an intervention.
The Israel-based Green Light for Life (GLL) program, for example, examined
the impact of a facilitated, 45-minute, in-home meeting with a young driver
and his parents at the start of the accompanied driving phase (ADP), which
lasts for three months following licensure. (New drivers are restricted from
transporting more than two passengers for the first two years of licensure
unless accompanied by an experienced driver.) The meeting addresses
the objectives and importance of the ADP, parent and teen expectations,
and “parents’ willingness and ability to share their experience and hazard
perception skills” with their young drivers (Toledo, Lotan, Taubman-Ben-Ari,
& Grimberg, 2011). Not only did the session prompt positive perceptions of
the ADP among parents and teens, but an 11% reduction in the crash rates
of GLL participants compared to non-participants (Toledo et al., 2011).
In Washington State, families that participated in two, in-home, facilitated
driving sessions – one prior to teen licensure and one after – were six
times more likely to have a parent/teen driving agreement. Additionally,
the licensed teens participating in the intervention were “less likely to drink
and drive and drive with peers who had been drinking” (Haggerty, Fleming,
Catalano, Harachi, & Abbott, 2006).
The facilitated Checkpoints program (see page 36) also shows a reduction in
risk-taking by teens (as compared to their non-participating counterparts) and
a larger propensity for parents to establish critical restrictions (Zakarajsek et
al., in press). This program, along with the previous two, are led by facilitators
who are educated and trained to deliver the intervention. This ensures the
programs’ integrity, not only in terms of content delivery, but evaluation.
While this may add to the cost of building and maintaining a program, the
development and delivery of consistent and ongoing facilitator training is
strongly recommended for ensuring a real effect on changing behavior. l
33
Chapter Four
Promoting Parent Involvement in Teen Driving
Promising
Parent
Programs
Literally hundreds of programs exist today to help parents help
their teen drivers. Many may be accessed online or are offered at
schools and other community-based settings. Most are free and
require only an investment of time, which can be as little as a few
minutes. The programs described in this final section of this report
(none of which are fee-based) are showing promise when it comes
to helping parents partner with their teens to survive their most
dangerous driving years. Some have been studied extensively with
academic rigor, while others use pre – and post-tests and other
measurement tools to determine audience impact. And still others,
are new or one-of-a-kind and merit discussion. To aid states
in determining how these programs measure up to the factors
discussed in the previous section of this report, a Good Program
Elements checklist is provided for each.
34
4
Promising Parent Programs
35
Chapter Four
Promising Parent Programs
Michigan
Checkpoints™ :
The Facilitated
Program
Has the following elements of a good parent program:
✔✔Discusses the risks for novice teen drivers
✔✔Explains how and why GDL works to address that risk
✔✔Reviews the critical role parents play in teaching, supporting
& managing their novice drivers
✔✔Explains the importance of and provides an opportunity to
try out a parent/teen driving agreement
✔✔Employs a theory-based program model that includes
ongoing evaluation
✔✔Delivered by trained, educated facilitators
✔✔Emphasizes parents and teens working together for safety
Developed by the National Institutes
of Health, the Checkpoints program
continues to be one of the most
effective preventions for addressing
teen crash risk (Simons-Morton,
Hartos, Leaf, & Preusser, 2006).
While the initial version of the program
was passive – parents and their
teens received a video and a series
of newsletters during the permit and
intermediate licensure phases of
GDL – the current iteration, adapted by
Shope and colleagues, is delivered in a
36
facilitated session lasting approximately
30-minutes.
During this time, parents and teens
review and discuss a 9-minute video
that covers teen crash risk, setting
expectations about restricting initial
driving privileges, and completion and
adherence to a parent/teen driving
agreement or PTDA. The facilitator
then introduces the Checkpoints
agreement and invites the participants,
following a discussion about teen
Checkpoints: The Facilitated Program
4
Promising Parent Programs
37
Chapter Four
Promising Parent Programs
driving risks specific to the first few
months of licensure, to work in their
parent/teen pairs on the first
checkpoint. The session ends with
parents sharing their intended driving
restrictions for their teens (Zakrajsek et
al., 2009).
The 30-minute version of the
Checkpoints program was first
facilitated by trained health educators
in driver education classes. A
comparison group – parents who
received a copy of the National
Safety Council’s multi-page book,
Teen Driver: A Family Guide to
Teen Driver Safety, which discusses
teen driver crash risk, parent/teen
agreements and the Checkpoints
program – was also convened, but did
not involve facilitation. The trial yielded
promising results as the parents and
their young drivers who participated
in the facilitated program reported
greater awareness about teen crash
risk, strong use of the agreement, and
38
“stricter-limit setting for driving on highrisk roads and in inclement weather”
(Zakrajsek et al., 2009).
Since then, research assessing driver
education professionals delivering
Checkpoints to parents and teens
during the latter’s driver education
experience has been completed and
the findings continue to validate the
program’s effectiveness. In fact,
researchers note that driver education
professionals not only “successfully
administered Checkpoints, [but]
maintained program fidelity and
obtained results surpassing those
obtained previously” (Zakrajsek
et al., in press). While teens who
participated in the health educators
study, were more likely to be restricted
from driving in heavy rain and on
certain roadways, the teens in the
driver educator study had these same
restrictions as well greater passenger
and nighttime driving restrictions
(Zakrajsek et al., in press).
Checkpoints: The Facilitated Program
4
The Checkpoints
teens were less
likely to engage in
risky driving
behaviors such as
traveling 20 or
more miles per
hour over the
speed limit and
running through
red lights
zz
sixteen times more likely to report PTDA use than controls (threequarters were still using them six months after participating in the
program);
zz
nine times more likely to have restrictions on driving with peer
passengers and on weekend nights;
zz
three and a half times more likely to be restricted from driving on
roads with speed limits over 55 mph; and
zz
restricted from transporting, on average, one fewer passenger than
their control counterparts.
The study also looked at crash
rates during the first six months
of licensure for the Checkpoints
and control teens and found no
differences. The Checkpoints
teens, however, were less likely to
engage in risky driving behaviors
(determined through completion of
a risk-assessment scale) such as
traveling 20 or more miles per hour
over the speed limit and running
through red lights (Zakrajsek et al.,
in press).
States looking to emulate the
Checkpoints experience should
be aware that this research has
been conducted in Michigan, a
state with a two-phase driver
Promising Parent Programs
Key findings of Checkpoints trained teens involved in this latest study
indicate that they are (Zakrajsek et al., in press):
education requirement: teens
receive instruction prior to the
permit phase and again just prior to
intermediate licensure. Currently,
the timing of Checkpoints coincides
with that second phase. That begs
the question would the program
be as effective if it were offered
prior to the permit phase? This is
clearly something for researchers to
determine. States no doubt would
benefit greatly from such a study
since when to deliver teen driving
information and tools to parents
is as important as what and how.
Meanwhile, this program, materials
and training are ready for other
states to use with minor adaptation
for their own GDL. l
Key Contact
Dr. Jean Shope
Univ. of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
734-764-6328
jshope@umich.edu
39
Chapter Four
Promising Parent Programs
Michigan
Checkpoints™ :
On the Web,
Pediatric Referrals
Has the following elements of a good parent program:
✔✔Discusses the risks for novice teen drivers
✔✔Explains how and why GDL works to address that risk
✔✔Reviews the critical role parents play in teaching, supporting
& managing their novice drivers
✔✔Explains the importance of and provides an opportunity to try out
a parent/teen driving agreement (Checkpoints on the Web only)
✔✔Employs a theory-based program model that includes
ongoing evaluation
✔✔Delivered by trained, educated facilitators (Pediatric referrals only)
✔✔Emphasizes parents and teens working together for safety
✔✔
To bolster parental usage of the
Checkpoints program (just 35% of
parents invited to participate in the
voluntary face-to-face program did so)
and to provide a means for parents who
participate in the face-to-face session
to refer back to it, the intervention
has been translated for wide-spread
parent use via the Web (www.
saferdrivingforteens.org). To date,
nearly 30,000 parents of Michigan
teen drivers have taken advantage
of the online Checkpoints program
presented by the University of Michigan
40
Transportation Research Institute
(UMTRI) and the Michigan Department
of Community Health (UMTRI, 2012).
What researchers learned as a result
of building the Checkpoints website
is highly instructive and of tremendous
value to states and organizations
thinking about going down the same
path. Parent focus groups (as well
as parent-teen dyads) were convened
throughout the process to help guide
the initial design plans as well as test
the website at several stages. While
Checkpoints: On the Web, Pediatric Referrals
4
Promising Parent Programs
The program
seems to be a
natural fit for
pediatricians, who
earlier reported
regularly
counseling their
teen patients
about teen driving
topics such as seat
belt (88%) use and
alcohol (81%).
parents responded positively to the
information and the parent/teen driving
agreement (PTDA), they needed
assistance with the latter and raised
concerns about privacy prompted by
a registration page and the potential
for marketing tie-ins. Additionally,
focus group participants stressed that
parents are busy and may not be aware
of the need to take advantage of the
program until their teens crash and/or
commit a violation.
A graphic designer was tasked
with translating the research-based
content for broad audience appeal
with a strong focus on flow, look,
color scheme, and diversity, while a
promotional plan (described previously
on pages 22-23) was developed and
tested to determine the most effective
way to create awareness of the website
and spark parent usage. Findings from
a preliminary evaluation were used to
modify the website to increase parent/
teen driving agreement usage as well
as fine-tune the promotional efforts for
the final evaluation phases (Bingham et
al., 2012).
In addition to testing the impact of
using earned and paid media to drive
parents to the website, UMTRI is
partnering with pediatricians. Working
in partnership with the American
Academy of Pediatrics Pediatric
Research in Office Settings program
with funding from the CDC, physicians
in 14 states (California, Connecticut,
Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Massachusetts,
Maryland, Montana, North Carolina,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia,
Vermont, and Utah) are delivering a
brief intervention to parents of teen
patients while they’re in the office for
well-child and preventive visits. The
intervention includes discussing the
crash risk for teen drivers, encouraging
parents to visit the Checkpoints
Web-based program, and giving them
promotional materials (e.g., key chains,
adhesive note pads, bookmarks)
that have the website URL (www.
youngdriverparenting.org) printed on
them. The website is available and
useful to parents in any state.
The program seems to be a natural fit
for pediatricians, who earlier reported
regularly counseling their teen patients
about teen driving topics such as seat
belt (88%) use and alcohol (81%).
While nearly half also talk to teens
about cell phones and speeding,
a smaller percentage discuss the
dangers of teen passengers (41%),
41
Chapter Four
We deal
with many
diseases, but
this is the one
that’s most
likely to be
fatal. A teen
deserves to be
warned in
advance of
licensure and
we have the
means to do it.
Checkpoints: On the Web, Pediatric Referrals
drowsy driving (25%), parental limit
setting (23%), and driving at night
(21%). The discussion drops off
significantly when it comes to GDL
laws (13%), car selection (9%), driver
education (8%), and a parent-teen
driving agreement (10%) (Weiss, O’Neil,
Shope, O’Connor, & Levin, 2010). And
while many pediatricians (38%) are not
aware their state has a GDL law, they
are informed about the increased risk
when teen drivers transport their peers
(79%) and drive at night (72%).
Capitalizing on this willingness
to counsel, while recognizing the
need to address the knowledge
gaps, pediatricians participating in
the Checkpoints project review a
self-study manual that includes facts
about teen driving risks; frequently
asked questions with responses; brief
motivational interviewing skills to help
them talk with parents about the topic;
and sample scripts to guide discussion
with parents and teens. In addition,
pediatricians are also asked to review
audio-tapes of actual practitioners
interacting with families, as well as
visit and review the materials on the
teen driving website. Prior to being
certified to participate in the project,
they’re also asked to tryout the
intervention on three patients. Once
they’ve completed this process, the
pediatrician receives a box containing
promotional materials that include a
button to wear stating, Ask me about
teen driving, a supply of the items to
give parents, and posters and other
materials for display in the office.
How is the program received by
physicians and their patients? “It’s a
slam dunk,” said one Hawaii-based
pediatrician. “Since I have a positive
relationship with my patients and parents
are grateful for the information, it’s easy
to bring up. I tell parents to go to the
website because it’s a trusted source and
has bona fide information that can save
their child’s life. They typically tell me
they’ll check it out right away.” Hawaii,
according to the program researchers,
is leading the other states in the amount
of time parents are spending on the
Checkpoints website (visitors to the
site are asked to indicate via pull down
menus who referred them; Google
Analytics is used to monitor traffic).
This pediatrician’s enthusiasm for the
program is evident not only in how
he talks about it, but in the additional
steps he’s taken to engage his patients
and their parents. “I have a sample
parent-teen agreement that I show to
reinforce our discussion. I do believe
they’re listening, because I’ve been
the family’s trusted source of medical
information for the teen’s entire life.”
His message to fellow pediatricians
who may be skeptical about following
his example is compelling. “We deal
with many diseases, but this is the one
that’s most likely to be fatal. We have
the time and opportunity to inform
parents and teens so that they can
take action. Plus, it’s the easiest study
to do. There’s no consent or data
collection required as well as no ulterior
motive. A teen deserves to be warned
in advance of licensure and we have
the means to do it.” l
Key Contact
Dr. Jean Shope
Univ. of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
734-764-6328
jshope@umich.edu
42
4
Promising Parent Programs
43
Chapter Four
Promising Parent Programs
New Jersey:
Share the Keys
Has the following elements of a good parent program:
✔✔Discusses the risks for novice teen drivers
✔✔Explains how and why GDL works to address that risk
✔✔Reviews the critical role parents play in teaching, supporting
& managing their novice drivers
✔✔Explains the importance of and provides an opportunity to
try out a parent/teen driving agreement
✔✔Employs a theory-based program model that includes
ongoing evaluation
✔✔Delivered by trained, educated facilitators
✔✔Emphasizes parents and teens working together for safety
State highway safety officials in New
Jersey knew that if they were going
to get parents engaged in managing
their teen drivers they couldn’t wait for
the Legislature to make it happen. So
they partnered with a professor at Kean
University and a State Police trooper to
build and pilot a parent-teen orientation
program called Share the Keys (STKs).
Three years later (and still no mandate)
more than 10,000 parents and teens
have participated in the 75-minute
program, which is offered through
high schools across the state. A team
of 200 facilitators (law enforcement,
parents, safety advocates, and teens)
has been trained to deliver the
program, which was built using the
44
program theory model advocated by
CHOP. The behavioral objectives and
target constructs are grounded in
parental influence research conducted
by CHOP (Driving Through the Eyes
of Teens 2007 & 2009), the CDC
(Parents are the Key program), NIH/
University of Michigan Transportation
Research Institute (Checkpoints),
and Bruce Simons-Morton (parental
influence). “We built this program
based on what the research says
parents need to know to help make
their teens’ safer, not on what we
thought parents should know,” said the
SHSO’s special projects manager.
The program’s long-term vision is to
reduce teen driver crashes, injuries and
4
Promising Parent Programs
deaths, while the behavioral objectives focus on ensuring that parents understand
the state’s GDL and effectively enforce it at home, serve as good role models,
increase supervised practice with their novice driver, and control the keys. Target
constructs address knowledge, self-efficacy and normative beliefs. Much of the
information shared with parents and teens is pulled directly from CHOP’s study,
Driving Through the Eyes of Teens: A Closer Look (2009), which discusses:
zz
how parenting styles affect a teen’s crash risk;
zz
the critical role parents play;
zz
the need to limit primary access to a vehicle
(make teens ask for the keys);
zz
the importance of setting limits through the use of a
parent/teen driving agreement;
zz
parents leading by example; and
zz
ensuring a teen logs at least 50 hours of practice
during the permit phase.
45
Chapter Four
Promising Parent Programs
Currently, New Jersey is just one of
three states that does not require teens
to log a minimum number of supervised
practice hours under its GDL program.
A program may need to be aligned with
best practice rather than the state’s
GDL provisions to do the most good.
Individuals trained to facilitate the
program receive instruction not just in
the content, but the science behind it.
“We talk about situational leadership,
accelerated learning and facilitation
techniques (explained in Appendix
B) because we want everyone who
leads this program to understand the
method behind the message,” said the
state highway safety office’s special
projects manager. “Everything is done
for a reason, it’s not happenstance,” she
stressed. “We’ve incorporated problemsolving exercises into the program to help
stimulate thought and allow participants
to make connections and build neural
networks, which create actionable
meaning and value for learners.”
Individuals
respond differently
to messages
depending on
whether they’re
framed to
emphasize
a benefit
(gain-framed)
or a loss
(negative-framed).
Even though
messages may
be factually
equivalent, how the
message is framed
can influence a person’s willingness
to take action
based on achieving
a desirable outcome
or avoiding an
undesirable one.
46
STKs also uses gain-framed (positive)
messaging so that parents not only hear
about a particular behavioral objective
(parents can lower their teen’s crash
risk by enforcing the passenger
restriction), but feel compelled to try
it out. Both the facilitator training and
parent-teen presentations were written
in a positive voice. When it comes to
presentation of the material, facilitators
are trained to share not preach by
presenting the facts and the proven
approaches that will help parents
lower their teens’ crash risk. “We want
parents to decide for themselves what
to do with this information and then we
support their decisions with the tools
and resources they’ll need to accomplish
these tasks. We recognize that when
you get a person to try on a behavior, he
is more likely to make that behavior his
own,” the SHSO official said.
Role playing, group and parent-teen
dyad discussion (including time to begin
working on an agreement), problemsolving, and even a bit of humor
courtesy of Taylor Swift and the team
at Saturday Night Live are built into the
program. Every family receives a 24page resource guide, which includes a
sample parent/teen driving agreement,
an overview of the GDL program and
other resources. Facilitators reference
the guide throughout the session so
that parents not only know what’s in
it, but feel comfortable using it once
they’re at home.
It’s also important to note that
facilitators are trained in effective
facilitation. The focus is not only on
knowing and feeling comfortable
with the material and helping to lead
the discussion, but encouraging
participants to reveal their thoughts,
feelings and experiences. One of the
training slides, for example, points out
that the literal meaning of facilitator is
“one who makes things easy” (Knezek,
2012). “We give facilitators the tools
to help parents realize that they can do
this,” said the SHSO special projects
manager. “At the same time, we stress
that while we want them to add their
own personal experiences related to
teen driving, deviating from the script is
not an option.”
This is important because it ensures
consistency in evaluation regardless of
who is presenting the material. Every
parent is asked to complete a survey
prior to the start of the program and
another at the completion (currently
a pre – and post-teen survey is not
administered since the focus is on
parents, the individuals with the most
influence over their young drivers).
Additionally, parents are invited
to provide their name and contact
information for follow-up six months
after participating in the program.
The survey was developed by Kean
with input from a behavioral scientist
4
Share the Keys
First-year
findings show
that participation
in the program is
helping parents
gain a better
understanding of
the critical role
they play ensuring
their teens
increase their
practice driving
(81% will increase
time spent with
their teen behind
the wheel).
First-year findings show that
participation in the program is
helping parents gain a better
understanding of the critical role
they play ensuring their teens
increase their practice driving (81%
will increase time spent with their
teen behind the wheel). Additionally,
76% of parents will enforce GDL
at home, while 76% intend to
control the keys. The six month
follow-up study is also showing
promising results: 84% of parents
say they now understand the GDL
and enforce the nighttime driving
(11 p.m.-5 a.m.) and passenger
restriction (only one passenger
regardless of family affiliation
unless a parent or guardian is in the
vehicle), while 63% control the keys
and 47% spend 7 hours or more
a month practice driving with their
teen (Marrero, 2012)
Parents are adjusting their
parenting styles, too. While 30%
of the parents who completed the
pre-survey indicated they use an
authoritative style to manage their
teen driver (52% indicated they were
permissive, 9% were authoritarian
and 9% were uninvolved), this
increased to 47% when contacted
six months later. The use of a driving
contract, meanwhile, currently stands
at 18% and overconfidence in their
teen’s driving ability stands at 61%
(Marrero, 2012). These findings
have prompted the SHSO to retool
the facilitator training to ensure
that instructors complete all of the
interactive exercises that reinforce
the importance and use of a parent/
teen driving agreement. Additionally,
they’re reviewing the follow-up
survey, administered to parents
6 months after completing the
program, so that that the question
addressing a teen’s driving ability is
worded to ensure they’re measuring
a parent’s perception of their teen’s
driving skills rather than compliance
with house rules and GDL.
Promising Parent Programs
at CHOP to ensure that what
parents are asked syncs with the
behavioral objectives and supporting
interventions.
The team behind STKs recognizes
there’s more work to be done in
both areas. “The overconfidence
expressed by parents is a reflection
of their misunderstanding of teen
driver safety,” said the SHSO
official. “Helping them come to an
understanding that more closely
aligns with what we know about
good driving – it takes experience
and maturity – is something we
continue to focus on as we work
to improve the program. And we’re
continuing to look for opportunities
to reinforce the importance of the
parent/teen driving agreement.”
That commitment to getting it right is
also reflected in all of the materials
– marketing, training, presentation
– used in the program. Recently,
videos were added to the PowerPoint
presentation to better illustrate
specific challenges (e.g., driving
at night, with multiple passengers)
teens and parents may face once the
former is driving independently. The
resource guide was also recently
updated and the facilitator training
was revised to include an actual
presentation of the program. All
of the program materials, including
the supporting research and other
documents, are available online at
www.njteendriving.com/sharethekeys.
They’re grouped for easy access by
individuals who want to bring STKs to
their community, become a facilitator
or are already trained to lead the
program. The STKs team pointed
out that having the materials online
also makes it easier to keep the
information up to date.
47
Chapter Four
Share the Keys
Organizations that host the free
program are asked to go to the
website and download and print the
pre- and post-surveys and parent
information form. The resource guide
is printed by the SHSO and made
available to facilitators; however, an
electronic version is also available
online. The host organization (typically
high schools and/or parent-teacher
organizations) is also encouraged
to actively promote the program
through e-blasts, pre-recorded parent
notification calls, flyers, posters, and
press releases.
Like the Checkpoints program,
attendance is typically voluntary. Some
schools have made participation in
the program mandatory – a teen must
attend with a parent or guardian to
park on campus. Other schools tie it to
proms or offer extra credit or incentives
to bolster attendance. Facilitators have
reported speaking to audiences as small
as 10 and as large as 750. Parents
who participate in the program, however,
overwhelmingly say that it is of value
and will help them help their teens.
What’s next for STKs? Evaluation will
assess the program’s impact on teen
driving behavior, crash and violation
rates in New Jersey and it is being
adopted for use in Pennsylvania
and Tennessee. Facilitator training
continues, with a focus not only on
increasing the ranks, but ensuring
that individuals trained in the original
version of the program are up to speed
with the new and improved release.
Several facilitators are also being
tapped to become instructors since
the current training team consists of
just three individuals. “We need to
increase that number,” admitted the
SHSO official, “but we also want to
make sure that whoever we bring on
board is committed to staying true to
our evidence-based road map.” l
Key Contact
Violet Marrero
New Jersey Div. of Highway Traffic Safety
609-633-9161
violet.marrero@lps.state.nj.us
48
4
Promising Parent Programs
49
Chapter Four
Promising Parent Programs
Connecticut:
Building on
a Mandate
Has the following elements of a good parent program:
✔✔Discusses the risks for novice teen drivers
✔✔Explains how and why GDL works to address that risk
✔✔Reviews the critical role parents play in teaching, supporting
& managing their novice drivers
✔✔Emphasizes parents and teens working together for safety
Because of
the training,
[parents] were
doing things
with their
teens they
would not
have done
otherwise and
more likely
to enforce
GDL rules.
Connecticut, while not the first state to
mandate parent education addressing
teen driving (that distinction belongs to
Massachusetts), is the first to require
parents to attend a 2-hour program
with their teens. Prompted by a series
of high-profile crashes in 2007, then
Governor M. Jodi Rell established a
Teen Driver Safety Task Force that
reviewed Connecticut’s teen licensing
requirements and made a number of
recommendations that included the
parent training program.
Parent acceptance of the mandate, along
with the program’s impact on parental
engagement, has been studied by
researchers who found strong support for
the requirement after the first two years of
implementation. Parents would recommend
the training to other parents and thought
it would help them in their role as the
parent of a teen driver. But perhaps most
importantly, nearly half of the respondents
“said that because of the training, they were
50
doing things with their teens they would not
have done otherwise and many said they
were more likely to enforce GDL rules as
a result of the instruction” (Chaudhary &
Williams, 2010).
The program, like its New Jerseycounterpart Share the Keys, has clearly
identified objectives that include: ensuring
that parents understand and support the
GDL law, serve as positive role models, and
coach their teen. All three are proven to be
effective for helping parents reduce their
teens’ crash risk. However, Connecticut’s
parent orientation objectives also call upon
parents to “list the driving skills their child
must master to pass the state required
road test, identify the driver’s education
class modules and their relevance to
developing good driving skills, and provide
examples of driving behaviors to avoid
because they may negatively influence a
new driver” (Connecticut Division of Motor
Vehicles [CT DMV], 2008). Whether these
objectives positively impact teen crashes,
4
Building on a Mandate
The program’s goal, meanwhile, is to
“assist parents/guardians...coach and
mentor their teenagers into safe and
skilled drivers” (CT DMV, 2008). This
is accomplished through the objectives
outlined above, which are supported by
a series of target constructs that focus
on teen crash risk, brain development,
hazard awareness, and parental roles
and responsibilities. While there is no
formal training required to deliver the
program, instruction and discussion
are led by certified driver education
teachers, who follow a curriculum
outline developed by the DMV. How
the material is presented, however, is
not formally prescribed beyond what is
addressed in the outline.
87% of
parents who
participated in
the program
agree that it
should be a
requirement.
Has parent acceptance remained strong
and how has the program evolved
four years after launch? According
to researchers and licensing agency
officials, 87% of parents who participated
in the program agree that it should be a
requirement, while 85% said they either
strongly agreed or somewhat agreed
that the information was helpful. Delving
deeper, 18% of parents said the course
“increased their confidence a great deal
in teaching their teen to drive, while 47%
said their confidence was somewhat
enhanced” (Preusser Research Group as
cited in The DMV Center for Teen Safe
Driving, 2012).
An analysis of what parents who have
taken the course know about the state’s
GDL program as compared to parents
who haven’t reveals that the program is
helpful. For example, 90% of parents
who have taken the course are aware
of the passenger restriction that applies
to teens during the second six months
of intermediate licensure as compared
to 84% of parents who haven’t taken
the course. But the most statistically
significant gains are associated with
parent knowledge of the 11 p.m.
nighttime driving restriction (77% of
parents who took the course know
about the restriction as compared to
52% who have yet to take the course)
and teen brain development issues
(59% versus 35%) (Preusser Research
Group as cited in The DMV Center for
Teen Safe Driving, 2012).
Promising Parent Programs
particularly the latter, which uses a lossframed (negative) rather than gain-framed
approach, is unknown and something the
state may want to investigate further.
What is concerning is the limited
knowledge parents have about the state’s
48-hour administrative license rule. An
important component of the new penalty
structure enacted in 2008, the rule allows
a police officer to initiate an on the spot
suspension of a teen’s driver license for
violating the passenger and/or nighttime
driving restrictions of the GDL as well as
for speeding, reckless driving and driving
under the influence. Just 8% of parents
knew about the rule after taking the
mandated course, which is double the rate
of parents who know about it on their own.
(A SHSO official noted that these findings
may be the result of low awareness of and
reluctance on the part of law enforcement
to enforce the rule.) Additionally,
researchers found, as they did when
they surveyed parents previously, that
one-quarter did not report an “increase in
their information about teen driving risks”
(Presser Research Group as cited in The
DMV Center for Teen Safe Driving, 2012).
These findings are prompting Connecticut
officials to question not only the content,
but who is delivering the program, as well
as when and how. A curriculum study
led by traffic safety, driver education
and injury prevention specialists is back
on track after being stalled by funding
issues. The goal is to develop training
modules that, pending DMV approval,
could be used to strengthen not only
the parent-teen orientation, but other
aspects of the state-mandated driver
education curriculum. Another study
will look at where the orientation fits
51
Chapter Four
Building on a Mandate
within the current curriculum to determine
the most appropriate time to present this
information to parents and teens: prior
to the teen receiving the permit, prior to
intermediate licensure, several times during
the GDL program? “We regulate curriculum
and content, but we don’t regulate timing,”
stressed a DMV official. “We need to
figure out where it fits neatly, logically and
educationally in the driving school process.”
State officials and members of the DMV
Commissioner’s Advisory Commission on
Teen Safe Driving also acknowledge that
delivery impacts not only what is heard
but whether it is having an impact on
behavior. They recognize the importance of
determining to what extent the curriculum
is being followed, as well as how parents
and teens react to the curriculum and
what they feel can be improved. They also
want to know how the key information
is communicated – are participants
engaged in discussion or simply lectured to
throughout the 2-hour time period?
“Finding out whether there are more
effective ways of presenting this
information is a priority,” said the DMV
official. “We need to look at the evidencebased research that shows what works
and partner with the driving schools on
content delivery.” Commission members
plan to audit the course at locations across
the state. Also on the table is the need to
address language and cultural issues, a
concern for all states.
Key Contact
Joseph Cristalli
Highway Safety Office, CDOT
960-594-2412
joseph.cristalli@ct.gov
52
An advisory committee has been working
on the creation of a new short video,
featuring both parents and teens, that can
be used to convey critical enforcement,
safety and parental management
messages. Instructor support for this
resource is strong as over 80% view it
as a helpful tool. “We know that in the
current program, there’s more dispensing of
information than cultivating discussion. The
video would help break that up and prevent
participants from tuning out,” explained the
DMV official.
A parent package is also in development
that will include a CD-ROM containing a
training manual, video, sample parent/teen
agreement (which is currently distributed
with the learner’s permit; it’s provided on
a pad to DMV offices for easy tear-off),
PowerPoint presentation, and talking
points for distribution to high schools,
public health, and community and service
organizations. The purpose of the materials
is to “supplement the parent-teen program,”
the DMV official explained, “not replace it.”
Clearly, Connecticut is in the enviable
position of having the means to compel
parents to get educated about the critical
role they play in training, monitoring and
partnering with their novice drivers. The
challenge is to continue to evaluate how they
present this information, as well as leverage
existing and future research, to ensure the
program is indeed hitting the mark when it
comes to parent engagement. l
4
Promising Parent Programs
53
Chapter Four
Promising Parent Programs
Montana:
Leveraging an
Administrative Rule
Has the following elements of a good program:
✔✔Discusses the risks for novice teen drivers
✔✔Explains how and why GDL works to address that risk
✔✔Reviews the critical role parents play in teaching, supporting
& managing their novice drivers
✔✔Explains the importance of and provides an opportunity to
try out a parent/teen driving agreement
✔✔Employs a theory-based program model that includes
ongoing evaluation (KEYS program only)
✔✔Delivered by trained, educator facilitators
( KEYS program only)
✔✔Emphasizes parents and teens working together for safety
( KEYS program only)
State officials in Montana, meanwhile, are using a different approach to
engage parents in their teens’ novice driving experience. With just under
one million people in the state, driver education is offered only through high
schools. Recognizing that 85% of schools require attendance at a parent
meeting as a prerequisite for successful completion of driver education, the
state revised the Traffic Education Standards in 2012 to include a mandatory
parent meeting.
This administrative rule establishes the time for meeting delivery – at the
beginning of the driver education class – as well as the content. The meeting
must focus on ensuring that parents have an understanding of the state’s GDL law
as well as an overview of the best practices in graduated licensing and parental
involvement including (State of Montana Health Enhancement & Safety Division
[State of MT], 2012):
zz
54
managing their teen’s graduated learning process through each stage of
the GDL;
Leveraging an Administrative Rule
tips on supervising the driving practice during the initial permit phase;
zz
tips to determine when their teen is ready for the next step in driving;
zz
objectives for success and significant hazards associated with each
driving phase; and
zz
information and tools to negotiate and adopt a written parent/teen
agreement that reflects the expectations of both, including clearly
defined restrictions, privileges, rules, and consequences that serve as
a basis for the teen to earn, and for the parent to grant, progressively
broader driving privileges.
The rule also allows a school district
to include any other information that it
“considers important for the successful
and safe completion of driver
education” (State of MT, 2012).
What do driver education teachers
think about the requirement? “I think
it’s a blast to get parents involved,”
said the Whitefish School District’s
Traffic Education Coordinator. “I can’t
think of a better place in education
when parents and teachers should be
working together. Parents don’t have a
clue about the GDL restrictions and the
risks for teens, so partnering with them
is critical.”
I think it’s
a blast to
get parents
involved
(in driver
education).
I can’t think
of a better
place in
education
when parents
and teachers
should be
working
together.
What’s important to note is the age at
which Montana teens may start the
GDL program. “Teens can get a permit
as early as 14 1/2 [what’s referred
to as a Traffic Education Learner
License or TELL],” said the Whitefish
TE Coordinator. “In our district, we
prefer to schedule the teens based on
their age, so our classes are primarily
composed of 15-year-olds, who are
still young but definitely more mentally
and socially ready than their younger
counterparts. We assign homework
that involves parents, as well as have
parents administer a test to their
teens before completing the program.
Together we’re getting their kids ready
to drive and parents are happy to be a
part of it.”
Promising Parent Programs
zz
4
Even with the mandate that parents
participate in a meeting, not all are
reached. Montana’s GDL program
allows teens to opt out of the traffic
education course if they wait until age
16 to obtain a permit. “Sure they’re
more mature, but I worry about what
they and their parents don’t know,”
said the Whitefish TE Coordinator.
“Montana has a high fatality rate due
to things like speed, alcohol and a
secondary seat belt law. Additionally,
we’re a big state, so you’ve got to drive
to get around. Some parents in the
more rural areas don’t see the need for
it or have the time, so they by-pass it or
their kids just drive illegally. There are
also cost issues [approved programs
receive a state subsidy, which helps to
lower the student fee] as well as some
instances where parents had their first
teen enrolled in what I call a ‘show
me’ program. They’re the bare bones
courses that aren’t going to compel
mom and dad to spend the money on
the next child.”
Despite these challenges, he indicated
that 90% of the students in his district
enroll in the traffic education program.
“I think we’re successful because of the
quality of instruction and our focus on
parents,” he explained. “Parents can
talk too much when they’re in the car
with their kids, plus they’re nervous. We
teach our students to use commentary
driving [putting into words what you
see ahead of you, what you’re thinking
55
Chapter Four
Research
conducted with
parents across
the state who
have teens
enrolled in driver
education,
confirms there is
strong support
(76%) for
parental
involvement.
Leveraging an Administrative Rule
and what you’re going to do], so that when it comes time for the parents to take over, they’re
finding that their kids are aware what’s going on around them. And that makes for a better
learning environment.”
Research conducted with parents across the state who have teens enrolled in driver education,
confirms there is strong support (76%) for parental involvement in driver education. Most
parents want information and instruction, including written materials and tools to help them
assess their teens. Capitalizing on this finding, the Montana Office of Public Instruction
partnered with Montana State University and the Montana Traffic Education Association to
develop and pilot a series of five parent-teen homework assignments. Dubbed KEYS (Keep
Encouraging Young driver Safety), the program is designed to “integrate parent involvement
into the driver education curriculum,” as well as help “increase parent motivation to supervise,
restrict and monitor their teens’ driving” (Hartos, Huff & Carroll, 2009).
KEYS is based on the tenets of goal-oriented persuasion used in the Checkpoints program
and the Hoover-Dempsey Sandler model that demonstrates the impact parental involvement
has in positively influencing a child’s outcome in school (Hartos et al., 2009). The assignments
view parents as “supervisors of practice driving and driving skills rather than teachers of driving
skills” (Montana Office of Public Instruction [MOPI], 2012a). Teens, meanwhile, are tasked with
helping their parents become familiar with the “terms and procedures they’re learning in driver
education” (MOPI, 2012a). KEYS recognizes that for the homework assignments to be most
effective they must be (MOPI, 2012a; Hartos et al., 2009):
zz
Delivered in an interactive environment that promotes a conversational rather than
academic feel that engages both parents and teens.
zz
Progression-based (completed step-by-step basis rather than all at one) to
ensure parents and teens have adequate time to assimilate the information into
practice driving before beginning the next, more advanced topic.
zz
Produced in a high-quality manner (e.g., paper stock, color, design) to convey a
sense of importance, value and significance to the user.
The purpose of the parent-teen homework
assignments is for families to ensure that their
novice drivers “show the knowledge, skill and
behaviors for safe driving,” which the Montana
Office of Public Instruction defines as “being
able to safely navigate roadways and safely
interact with other roadway users” gained
through experience (2012b). Each homework
assignment addresses two to three safe
driving topics (e.g., safety precautions/
equipment; traffic laws/courteous driving;
vision, balance and judgment) and includes
four to five family activities (e.g., properly
adjusting mirrors; what it means to be a
courteous driver; practicing on curves, hills
and at intersections).
Parents and teens are instructed to
56
carefully review the information provided,
fully and thoroughly perform the parentteen activities, and complete and submit the
assignment sheet to their driver education
instructor. Additionally, parents rate their
teens’ progress on the assignment sheet by
using a scale of good, fair or indifferent. A
box is also provided to record comments.
This information is designed to not only help
parents and teens identify additional areas
for practice and/or discussion, but to aid
driver education professionals who track
and monitor student progress and share this
information with parents.
The KEYS teen driver rating form lists 18
safe driving behaviors (e.g., positive attitude,
speed control, gap selection, following
4
Promising Parent Programs
57
Chapter Four
58
Promising Parent Programs
Leveraging an Administrative Rule
distance) to help parents periodically
assess their teen drivers’ safety
knowledge, skills, performance, and
adaptability. KEYS also includes a
parent/teen driving agreement; a
supervised driving log to track practice
by date, time, condition, and skill(s)
addressed; and an overview of the
phases for learning to drive (e.g.,
novice, or beginning, nearing proficient
or advanced beginning, proficient or
nearing competent, and competent).
This last document is particularly
instructive for parents as it links
the three stages of the state’s GDL
program (permit, intermediate and
full-licensure) along with knowledge,
skill level, performance, adaptability,
and the likelihood for being distracted
to the four phases. Additionally, it
stresses that regardless of phase,
“practice is the only way to eventually
gain mastery” and “that it takes years
of...driving to become...competent”
(MOPI, 2012c).
While KEYS is a voluntary program,
the pilot-test found families were
strongly supportive of the materials
with 90% reporting a willingness
to do all of the activities across all
five assignments. Two recruitment
strategies were used during the
pilot – one required all families taking
a particular traffic education class to
participate (families signed a consent
form or chose another class) and
the other made participating in the
program voluntary within the class.
Not surprisingly, families exposed to
the first strategy were 24 times more
likely to participate. Additionally,
classes that required participation
had higher homework completion
rates for some assignments, than
their voluntary counterparts (Hartos
et al., 2009).
Promising Parent Programs
Parents’ time
is ALWAYS
limited, but it’s
only a 5-week
commitment
and the effects
could last a
lifetime!
4
Like parents in other states,
researchers found that time is an issue
for Montana families and suggested
placing a gain-framed (positive)
safety message on KEYS materials to
encourage their usage. State officials
concurred and the tag line “Parents’
time is ALWAYS limited, but it’s only a
5-week commitment and the effects
could last a lifetime!,” can be found on
several KEYS documents including
one that provides positive feedback
about the homework assignments
from both parents and instructors
who participated in the pilot program
(MOPI, 2012a; Hartos et al., 2009).
Regardless of whether KEYS remains
an elective or is eventually required,
additional research is warranted
to assess parental support for the
program on a broader scale and its
impact on teen driving. Additionally,
as a result of the pilot, both teacher
candidates and certified driver
education teachers are receiving
training in the use of the material.
Along with discussing how best to
deliver and collect the assignments
to maximize the learning experience,
the training also focuses on
using persuasive communication
techniques to engage parents and
ensure the homework is completed
(Hartos et al., 2009). l
Key Contact
Fran Penner-Ray
Montana Office of Public Instruction
406-444-4432
fpenner-ray@mt.gov
59
Chapter Four
Promising Parent Programs
Virginia:
Making the Case for
a Mandate, Adding
a New Twist to the
Licensing Ceremony
Has the following elements of a good parent program:
✔✔Discusses the risks for novice teen drivers
✔✔Explains how and why GDL works to address that risk
✔✔Reviews the critical role parents play in teaching, supporting
& managing their novice drivers
✔✔Explains the importance of and provides an opportunity to
try out a parent/teen driving agreement ( PSTD program only)
✔✔Delivered by trained, educated facilitators (PSTD Program only)
✔✔Emphasizes parents and teens working together for safety
States seeking to garner legislative
and/or regulatory support for
mandating parent involvement in driver
education and training, may want to
take a cue from Virginia. In 2004, The
Old Dominion state launched a pilot
program requiring parents and teens
in Prince William County to attend a
90-minute safety program as part of
the in-classroom portion of the state’s
driver education curriculum (the latter
must be completed before a teen may
begin the state mandated 14-hours
of behind the wheel instruction). Six
years later, the legislature extended the
60
pilot to three other counties – Fairfax,
Loudon and Arlington – within Planning
District 8.
Today, the parent/teen safety
program, which was developed and
is administered by Partners for Safe
Teen Driving (PSTD) with funding
from the SHSO, is not only provided
in the mandated areas, but in 43
other schools districts around the
state (parent involvement is strongly
encouraged). The program covers
the state’s licensing process and GDL
program, which begins at age 15
Adding a New Twist to the Licensing Ceremony
4
Promising Parent Programs
1/2 and includes both the nighttime driving and passenger restriction that are
enforced as secondary offenses (parents are encouraged to supplement these);
tips for coaching new drivers; a facilitated discussion about teen crash risk and
specific driving behaviors (e.g., distraction, speed and alcohol) that often trip up
new drivers; and an overview of a parent/teen driving agreement that includes
time for individual family conversation.
Recognizing the critical role parents play in preparing their teens to drive, PSTD
has also developed tools to bolster participation in the 90-minute program as
well as continue the discussion at home. For example, there’s a 45-Hour Parent/
Teen Driving Guide (the state’s GDL requires teens to log at least 45 hours of
supervised practice driving during the permit phase) that outlines a series of
lessons designed to help teens build skill and remain crash-free in low and highrisk driving environments. A brochure/fact sheet addresses what parents need to
know before their teens drive including:
While our teen
crash and fatality
numbers have
been on
the decline
statewide, the
gains made in
District 8 tout the
importance
of parent
involvement.
zz
the risk factors, with an emphasis on brain development
and inexperience;
zz
the critical role parents play in setting a good example;
zz
the importance of knowing and enforcing the GDL law;
and coaching tips.
The guide and brochure, along with
a training kit designed to help school
districts and driver education teachers
promote and run parent/teen sessions,
are available on the PSTD website
(www.safeteendriving.org).
Is the program working? PSTD
officials report that teen drivers
in Prince William County Schools
(PWCS) have the lowest crash rates
in the state. A closer look at Virginia
Department of Education Statistics
from 2009 reveal that, “for every
100 students who completed the
driver licensing process through
the PWCS Driver Education Office
[which includes the parent education
mandate], only 2.19 students (down
from 17 students) had a crash in their
first year as a driver. This compares
to eight students and adults who
learned to drive through commercial
programs,” noted a PSTD official.
PSTD staff would like to see the
mandate extended statewide and
a SHSO official indicated that the
message that parent involvement
makes a difference rings loud in
Virginia. “While our teen crash and
fatality numbers have been on the
decline statewide, the gains made in
District 8 tout the importance of parent
involvement.”
If Virginia does expand its parent
education mandate statewide, it
would become the first and only state
in the nation with two face-to-face
opportunities to reinforce the critical
role moms and dads play in their teens’
licensure. Currently, Virginia is the only
state that requires teens to attend a
licensing ceremony with a parent or
guardian. Once teens complete all
of the driver education and training
requirements (including the road test)
mandated under the GDL program,
instructors issue a 180-day temporary
provisional (intermediate) driver’s license
and notify the courts of that action.
Teens then receive a notice to appear
(in appropriate court attire) before a
local Juvenile and Domestic Relations
61
Chapter Four
Promising Parent Programs
message about the seriousness
of licensure and the importance of
parental involvement, there’s always
room for improvement.”
Court judge, with a parent or guardian,
within that 180-day time period to
receive their intermediate license.
The licensing
ceremony
empowers
parents to know
that they have
control over that
license and
can say no.
The content of the group ceremony,
which typically lasts 30 to 60 minutes,
is dictated by the judge. But one
element that is consistent from one
court room to the next, is who is
handed the license – the parent, not
the teen. “The licensing ceremony
empowers parents to know that they
have control over that license and can
say no,” said a SHSO official. “GDL is
a parent program that allows parents to
make choices, despite push back from
teens, and this ceremony confirms that.”
Although the SHSO has offered
a teen driving-related session in
conjunction with the state’s annual
judicial conference, currently the
SHSO provides no formal training
to assist judges in conducting the
licensing ceremony. “Because this
training is key, the SHSO worked
with The Century Council to discuss
ways to enhance this component of
the licensing ceremony,” said a SHSO
official. “While I believe that the vast
majority of judges deliver a strong
62
From this discussion, The Century
Council developed and worked
with the Virginia Supreme Court to
distribute the resource kit, I Know
Everything (IKE), designed to help
judges better engage parents and
teens and enhance the licensing
ceremony. The research-driven
effort, which included a telephone
survey of Virginia Juvenile and
Domestic Relations Court judges,
and a nationwide survey of teens 15
to 18 years of age and their parents,
resulted in the identification of key
characteristics of the ceremony, along
with a better understanding of how
parents and teens seem to agree on
what defines unsafe driving behavior,
while differing on the consequences.
The research prompted development
of key messages for parents and
teens. The teen message focuses
on paying attention 100% of the time
when driving. For parents, it’s about
modeling safe driving behaviors as
well as reinforcing that driving is a
privilege not a right and exercising
their authority by punishing careless
or bad driving behavior (The Century
Council, 2012).
The IKE kit includes a suggested format
for incorporating the core messages
into the licensing ceremony, along with a
short video, facts for parents and teens,
and an introduction to the IKE website.
The latter, which includes a safe driving
checklist and links to a variety of
resources, is promoted as a way to keep
the discussion going after teens begin
independent driving. A refrigerator
magnet touting the importance of
paying attention, being a safe driver and
engaging in two-way communication
(parents ask your teens where they’re
going and who they’re going with;
Adding a New Twist to the Licensing Ceremony
I’m not trying
to put the
responsibility
that comes with
licensure off on
them (parents),
but I can’t
over-emphasize
how critical it
is that they
stay involved.
What do judges think about the
material? “I’m particularly thrilled
with the video,” said the Juvenile and
Domestic Relations Court Judge for
Botetort County, located 20 miles
from Roanoke in a rural part of the
state. “I start my ceremony with
it and then have a trooper speak
before I distribute the licenses
and offer a few closing remarks. I
previewed [it] extensively and had
others on my staff as well as my
20 and 16-year-olds watch it. The
tone and language are upbeat and
resonate with teens. My daughter
made it clear that you can only talk
so much to teens and that keeping it
snappy is important.”
Keeping teens and parents
engaged throughout the ceremony
is important. “I’ve only got these
families for a short period of time,
so I want to ensure that what I say
and they hear has impact. While I
talk to the teens and believe that the
video can help, my message is really
directed at the parents. I’m not trying
to put the responsibility that comes
with licensure off on them, but I
can’t over-emphasize how critical it
is that they stay involved. I let them
know I’m on my third teenage driver
and understand if they’re anxious,
which typically prompts a lot of head
nodding and some jaw setting as
what I say strikes a nerve.”
Promising Parent Programs
teens tell your parent where you’re
driving and who you’re traveling with)
is also available for display at home.
4
The Botetort judge admits that he
doesn’t follow the IKE-recommended
ceremony format, but feels that what’s
in the kit can be of help to his peers
who may not have experience with
teen driving. “We handle a lot of
family matters, so what’s in the kit is
organized in a manner that can be
helpful and instructive. Plus, when
it comes to the licensing ceremony,
there are two camps – the judges
that keep it upbeat and brief and the
ones that are blunt, direct and use
scare tactics. I’m more of the upbeat
guy, but I also know this is serious
business. I review all of the licenses
before each ceremony to see if I
know anyone and I come down off the
bench to personally distribute them as
well as shake the teens’ hands.”
The Century Council developed the
package not just to help guide the
Virginia ceremony, but to inspire
other states to “mimic the program”
(GHSA, 2012). l
Key Contacts
Ben Swecker & Tim TeWalt
Prince William County Schools (PTSD Program)
703-791-7328/7353
John Saunders
Virginia Highway Safety Services
804-367-6641
john.saunders@dmv.virginia.gov
Jaime Lotter
The Century Council
202-637-0077
lotterj@centurycouncil.org
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Chapter Four
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Pennsylvania & Connecticut:
Fitness to Drive,
A Tablet in Every
Exam Room
Has the following elements of a good parent program:
✔✔Discusses the risks for novice teen drivers
✔✔Explains how and why GDL works to address that risk
✔✔Reviews the critical role parents play in teaching, supporting
& managing their novice drivers
✔✔Explains the importance of and provides an opportunity to
try out a parent/teen driving agreement
✔✔Emphasizes parents and teens working together for safety
In Pennsylvania, teens are required
to have a doctor sign-off that they’re
fit to drive to obtain a learner’s permit.
That opportunity is not lost on teen
safe driving advocates, who recently
began working with pediatricians (and
some family practitioners) to help
them become resources for parents
and teens as well as champions for
the state’s recently enhanced GDL
law. Advocates estimate that nearly
100,000 teens enter the state’s driver
licensing system annually.
Piggybacking off the nearly three
decades old Traffic Injury Prevention
Project (TIPP) developed by the
Pennsylvania Chapter of the American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) through
funding provided by the SHSO, this new
64
initiative compliments the statewide
project which focuses on traffic safety
issues for children from birth through
young adulthood. Using a grant from
The Allstate Foundation (provided
through a partnership with AAP),
TIPP staff are working to educate the
more than 2,000 AAP-associated
pediatricians as well as the 550
community-based pediatric practices
located across the state.
To do that, the PA AAP and the SHSO
hosted a continuing medical education
teleconference for pediatric practitioners
that addressed changes to the state’s
GDL law which took effect in December
2011 as well as the rationale for those
changes and their correlation to crash
data. The amendments, known as
4
Promising Parent Programs
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66
Fitness to Drive, A Tablet in Every Exam Room
Lacey’s Law, were supported by the PA
AAP and reinforce the importance of
practice driving as well limit passengers
and require seat belt use by all drivers
and passengers under 18. Additionally,
the CME, which was facilitated by
Dennis Durbin, MD, MSCE, FAAP,
co-director of the Center for Injury
Research and Prevention at CHOP,
also included a review of the issues
that heighten a teen’s risk for injury and
death on the road, and steps parents
and teens can take in addition to GDL
to lessen that risk.
To help pediatricians translate
what they learned on the call into a
meaningful exchange with parents
and teens, materials were developed
for use in the exam room including
a colorful and eye-catching miniposter, a folder that includes both
parent and teen specific tip sheets
addressing communication, practice
driving, overcoming the risks, and the
GDL. A sample parent/teen driving
agreement is also provided along
with a teen driving FAQ. While the
expectation is that the pediatrician will
briefly review this material with teens
and parents when signing off on the
Learner’s Permit Application (DL-180),
not all teens may come into the office.
Pennsylvania law allows the form to be
completed up to 6 months prior to the
teen’s 16th birthday (the minimum age
for obtaining a permit) and it is valid for
one year from the date of the physical
examination.
“We recognize that some forms may be
dropped off and picked up, eliminating
the opportunity for that physician/
family discussion,” said a TIPP official.
“That’s why we encourage physicians to
have the conversation early and to raise
it whenever the teen is in the office.
The more opportunities they have to
discuss the topic the better. That may
mean a general discussion the first
time, followed by several conversations
overtime focusing on the GDL program
and how it addresses the risk, followed
by the use of an agreement, and the
importance of following and adhering
to the rules.”
Promising Parent Programs
Pediatricians
convey to teens
that they
understand their
interest in
learning to drive
and want to help,
while ensuring
that parents
know what
is necessary
to protect
their teens.
4
The end game, says TIPP officials, is to
promote conversation in an environment
that has the teen’s best interest at
heart. That means pediatricians convey
to teens that they understand their
interest in learning to drive and want to
help, while at the same time ensuring
that parents know what is necessary to
protect their teens. While it’s too early
to tell if the initiative is having an impact,
TIPP will be working with physicians to
collect not only patient contact data, but
information concerning how they are
interacting with patients (with deference
to HIPAA requirements) and how
patients are responding.
Connecticut pediatricians are also
leveraging The Allstate Foundation/
AAP partnership to develop and
test a new approach to providing
anticipatory guidance about novice
driving to their teenage patients and
parents during the formers’ 15, 16 and
17-year-old well visits. Currently, 19
practices representing approximately
75 AAP members have been recruited
to deliver teen driving information
through the state’s Pediatric
E-Network, a partnership between
the Connecticut AAP Chapter and
the Injury Prevention Center (IPC) at
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center,
using Android-based tablets.
The network, which is designed to
support and supplement clinician
efforts by providing information that is
both accurate and relevant to patients,
includes a Learning to Drive module
composed of three main videos. The
videos, all two-minutes or less in length,
feature a single speaker – a trauma
surgeon, a state trooper, a driving
school instructor – who discuss
the risks, legal consequences and
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Chapter Four
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The IPC senior program manager
overseeing the project indicated that
they hope to expand it to include 50
pediatric practices and reach more than
5,000 teens and their parents annually.
“We’ve had success working with the
practice managers in the offices and
we typically host a lunchtime session
during which we discuss the magnitude
of this public health threat for teens
and explain how the application can
be used. We don’t, however, tell them
exactly how to implement the system,
recognizing that each practice must
figure out how to work it into their
routine. We do recommend that the
teen – sometimes the parent is also in
the exam room – be given the tablet
while he’s waiting to see the doctor in
an exam room. The doctor or clinician
then asks if the teen or parent has
any questions and provides collateral
materials which include a sample
contract and a GDL brochure.”
strategies for safe driving. There’s
a strong focus on parent training
and monitoring, as well as what GDL
is and why it exists. As teens and
their parents progress through each
module, they’re prompted to answer
questions designed to make for a
more active experience lasting about
5 minutes. The use of a parent/teen
driving agreement is also introduced
as a proven way to help parents
address their teens’ high crash risk.
Interestingly, the state trooper featured
in one of the videos is female, which
should resonate with the parent – mom
– who typically handles doctor visits.
68
Ensuring patient usage of the tablets
is critical and something the IPC is
monitoring closely. “The tablets have
a feedback loop that allows us to track
the number of families reviewing the
modules by practice. If we see low
usage in a particular practice, we can
check in with the staff to determine
the reason why. We make it very clear
when a practice signs on that the tablet
doesn’t magically appear in a teen’s
hands. Everyone in the office needs
to be trained in how this works and
every teen has to be asked if he got
the tablet, plus this information should
be recorded in his chart. We also point
out the value of tying this to a patient’s
electronic medical record because there
is the possibility that a doctor may, in
the future, be able to bill for providing
this anticipatory guidance. While most
pediatricians understand the importance
of talking about prevention, their
training does not necessarily extend to
counseling teens and their parents on
issues like driving safety.”
Fitness to Drive, A Tablet in Every Exam Room
Another feature is the ability of
families to sign up for teen driving
safety text message. “When a teen
and parent finish the module, they’re
invited to send a text to a number
to receive more information about
teen driving. In the future we plan
on making better use of social media
like Twitter to keep parents and
teens informed.”
Promising Parent Programs
The IPC official did point out that
this ability to monitor usage can
only occur if the pediatric office is
operating on a WiFi network. “We’ve
had over 2,500 completions since
the first practice went live in June
of 2012, but there are ongoing
issues that need to be addressed to
ensure we’re capturing all activity.”
(Currently, practices are being asked
to manually report usage numbers as
a means of verifying what is coming
in electronically.) He also noted that
being network-enabled allows the
device to receive automatic updates
when a module is revised. “Every
time the application is opened on the
tablet, it checks for updates, which
means less work for the practice.”
4
There is also discussion about
splitting the single module into three
age-specific applications (15, 16 and
17-year-old). For now, however, the
focus is on recruiting more practices
to test the E-Network as well as
securing additional tablets and
tracking usage. States considering
investing in the development of an
application to engage teens and
parents would be wise to keep a
close eye on the Connecticut pilot
and learn from this experiment.
Additionally, as the pilot continues,
gaining a better understanding of
the impact the modules are having
on parent engagement possibly
through surveys and/or focus groups
would be helpful. l
Key Contacts
Angela Osterhuber
Pennsylvania TIPP
494-446-3008
aosterhuber@paaap.org
Kevin Borrup
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
860-545-9984
kborrup@ccmckids.org
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Chapter Four
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Georgia & Minnesota:
PRIDE,
Teen Driver
Parental Awareness
Has the following elements of a good parent program:
✔✔Discusses the risks for novice teen drivers
✔✔Explains how and why GDL works to address that risk
✔✔Reviews the critical role parents play in teaching, supporting
& managing their novice drivers
✔✔Explains the importance of and provides an opportunity to
try out a parent/teen driving agreement (TDPA program only)
✔✔Employs a theory-based program model that includes
ongoing evaluation
✔✔Delivered by trained, educated facilitators (PRIDE program only)
✔✔Emphasizes parents and teens working together for safety
States can also take a cue from
Georgia and Minnesota, where a nearly
decade-old program in the former, and
one that’s just gaining steam in the
latter are schooling parents in GDL and
teen driving.
Led by a dedicated team at the Georgia
Traffic Injury Prevention Institute (GTIPI),
with funding from the SHSO, PRIDE or
Parents Reducing Injuries and Driver
Error is a free, two-hour program that
addresses the attitudes, knowledge
and behavior of both parents and
teens as the latter prepare to become
70
new drivers. Led by trained volunteer
instructors, some of whom are parents
who participated in PRIDE with their
own teens, the program opens with a
brief parent/teen session. Parents then
go off into their own session (as do
their teens) where they participate in a
facilitated discussion about Georgia’s
GDL law, known as TADRA (Teenage
and Adult Driver Responsibility Act), and
how they influence and impact their new
teen driver. They’re asked to rate their
own driving (teens rate their parents, too,
while in their own session) and share
this information with the teens once the
PRIDE, Teen Driver Parental Awareness
groups reconvene for the final segment
of the program. The exercise, says GTIPI
officials, is an eye-opener for parents
and generates significant discussion.
Every parent and teen who participates
in the program is also asked to complete
a pre-test evaluation form and post-test
knowledge test. Additionally, 60 days
and 12 months after completing the
program, parents receive via e-mail
a one-page yes or no survey asking
if they’re using specific things they
learned in the program to support,
coach and protect their novice drivers.
They’re also asked to indicate if their
teen has been involved in a crash and/
or received a citation since completing
the PRIDE program.
Response rates for both the 60day and one-year surveys average
approximately 35%. To bolster
completion of the 60-day survey,
parents are notified that they’ll
receive a certificate of completion
for responding, which they can
submit to their insurance carrier
(some companies offer a discount
for completing the program). GTIPI
officials point out that since parents
self-report, measuring the validity of
their responses is difficult. However,
the parents who respond report a low
incidence of crashes and violations
involving their teens. (No comparison
data is available for teens who did not
enroll in the PRIDE program.)
Meanwhile, the results of the pre- and
post-knowledge test scores for both
parents and teens show an increase
in awareness and understanding
of the state’s GDL law as well as
the nighttime driving (midnight to 6
a.m.) and passenger restrictions (a
stepped restriction that starts with
no passengers for the first 6 months,
followed by no more than one under
21 for the next six months and three
thereafter) and the importance of
seat belt use. Between October 2009
and September 2011, an average of
53% of parents improved their overall
knowledge of Georgia’s teen driving
law, posting average before and after
mean test scores of 83% and 93%,
respectively (Georgia Traffic Injury
Prevention Institute, 2011 & 2010).
Promising Parent Programs
An average of
53% of parents
improved their
overall knowledge
of Georgia’s teen
driving law,
posting average
before and after
mean test scores
of 83% and 93%,
respectively.
4
PRIDE reaches approximately 1,200
families annually, mostly through
voluntary participation. A small number
of participants are required to take the
program under a juvenile court mandate
due to the teen committing a traffic
offense (the only program of its type
in the state receiving court referrals).
Both parents of remanded teens as
well as those who come voluntarily,
give the program high marks. The
former, however, are according to
GTIPI officials, more likely to stay at
the end of the program to chat with
other parents and/or the instructor.
Judges receive information about the
program through continuing education
conferences, which has prompted
an uptick in teens attending as an
alternative to sentencing.
The program is facilitated by instructors
who undergo extensive training including
classroom instruction, presentation
practice, a final exam, and observation.
Additionally, they must commit to teach
the program at least four times a year,
as well as attend a 3-hour training or
complete an online course (both include
an exam) annually to maintain their
certification. The bar, according to GTIPI
officials, is set high (retention is about
40%) to ensure the quality and integrity
of the program and instruction.
Minnesota state highway safety
officials have not included facilitator
training in their recently launched
community-based Teen Driver Parental
Awareness Program (TDPAP),
which is designed for presentation
in conjunction with driver education
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Chapter Four
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classroom programs. The 90-minute TDPAP is “generic” to allow instructors to
customize it “to suit their individual program and community needs” (Pehrson,
2012). It was developed by the SHSO’s youth traffic safety and alcohol
coordinator based on research conducted by CHOP and other entities, with the
objectives of (Pehrson, 2012):
The program is
an effective
tool to reach
out to parents.
It raises their
awareness,
gives them an
avenue to ask
questions, and
empowers them
as educators of
their children.
zz
increasing parent and youth awareness of the most common risks for
teens and the state’s GDL law;
zz
increasing parental understanding of the strong influence they have on
their teen’s driving behavior; and
zz
providing information and tools parents can use to help support their
teen to drive safely.
The program’s overarching goal is
to reduce teen-involved crashes,
injuries and fatalities. In addition to
addressing the magnitude of the teen
driver crash problem in Minnesota, the
TDPAP, which is divided into three
segments based on the objectives,
also discusses why teens crash and
how positive parenting (modeled after
the authoritative parent detailed earlier
in this report) can reduce that risk.
Parents are introduced to a variety of
tools including a sample parent/teen
driving agreement, practice log and
withdrawal of parental consent form
(grants parents in Minnesota the right
to revoke the driving privileges of a
teen who is under 18). Additionally,
parents are encouraged to regularly
discuss with their teens the risks and
responsibilities associated with driving,
practice what they preach, allow plenty
of time for practice, and remember that
it’s up to them (not the law) to decide
when their teen is ready for licensure.
TDPAP was rolled out as a pilot
through communities that agreed to
present to at least one class in 2012
and collect feedback via a pre- and
post-parent awareness survey, and
parent and instructor evaluations.
These documents are contained in a
33 page Discussion Guide that also
includes discussion points and exercises
for each objective along with links to
72
research and other supporting materials,
tools to promote attendance, a class
preparation checklist, sample insurance
quote information for including a teen
on a family policy, positive parenting
tips, and a list of Minnesota State Patrol
contacts. Instructors are encouraged
to invite law enforcement officials, EMS
and other community members working
in teen driver safety to participate in the
discussion.
All the materials needed to facilitate
and promote the program, including a
PowerPoint presentation with extensive
notes, are provided at no cost on a
CD-ROM. Two brochures discussing
Minnesota’s GDL law (Teen Driver Road
Rules) and tips and tools for parents
(Teens Behind the Wheel, A Roadmap
for Parents), are also provided free of
charge via the SHSO website.
How are instructors responding to the
TDPAP? “The program is an effective
tool to reach out to parents. It raises
their awareness, gives them an avenue
to ask questions, and gives me an
opportunity to direct their understanding
of their role and empowers them as
educators of their children,” said a new
program facilitator. “So far, each of the
pilot participants decided to make the
parental awareness class a regular part
of their driver education programs. I’m
working with several other communities
PRIDE, Teen Driver Parental Awareness
that have expressed an interest
as well,” indicated the youth traffic
safety coordinator. Through the first
quarter of 2012, 12 pilot classes were
conducted.
What about parents? Of the 227
who responded to the first round
of surveys, their confidence in
understanding the state’s teen
driving laws increased from 36%
pre-TDPAP to 74% post-TDPAP.
A closer look reveals that their
knowledge of two key provisions
of graduated driver licensing – a
limit on passengers and driving at
night – jumped significantly. For
the passenger restriction, which can
be complicated because it’s a twophase provision (only one passenger
under 20 during the first six months
of intermediate licensure; no more
than three passengers under 20
during the second six months of
licensure), parent understanding
of phase one jumped from 63% to
87%, while their knowledge of phase
two increased from 23% to 79%
(Pehrson, 2012).
Parent knowledge of the nighttime
driving restriction also increased
from 43% before the class to 85%
afterward. As for the value of the
program, an overwhelming 99%
of parents said the information will
help them help their teens, while
98% would recommend the class
to other parents. Meanwhile, 63%
and 35% of the survey respondents,
respectively, rated the class as
excellent or good, while 2% said it
was fair (Pehrson, 2012).
Promising Parent Programs
99% of
parents said
the information
will help them
help their teens,
while 98% would
recommend
the class to
other parents.
4
While initial response to the pilot is
highly favorable, continued evaluation
to ensure the program is achieving its
desired objectives is essential. The
SHSO has included information about
how to measure the impact of the
class in the Discussion Guide. In
addition to the current surveys, the
guide discusses conducting a followup survey with parents 6 months to
one year after participating in the
TDPAP to determine how much they
retained as well as how they now view
their role as the parent of a teen driver.
The SHSO may want to consider
expanding this to including asking
parents what measures they’ve taken
to protect their teens (e.g., adoption of
the positive parenting style) as a result
of their participation in the program.
An extended three to five year
outcome evaluation (conducted by the
Department of Public Safety using
state motor vehicle crash and license
data) is also planned to determine
the program’s impact on teen-related
crashes, injuries and fatalities as well
as risk-taking behaviors resulting in
traffic citations. l
Key Contacts
Dana Porter
Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute
678-413-4281/800-342-9819
dmp71@uga.edu
Gordy Pehrson
Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety
651-201-7072
gordy.pehrson@state.mn.us
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Road Trips® & Steer Clear®:
Promoting Practice
and Safety
Has the following elements of a good parent program:
✔✔Discusses the risks for novice teen drivers
✔✔Reviews the critical role parents play in teaching, supporting
& managing their novice drivers
✔✔Explains the importance of and provides an opportunity to
try out a parent/teen driving agreement (Steer Clear only)
✔✔Employs a theory-based program model that includes
ongoing evaluation ( Road Trips only)
✔✔Emphasizes parents and teens working together for safety
CHOP research on parent involvement
and improving practice driving for
teens, prompted State Farm to launch
Road Trips. The free, online, Webbased tool, which was developed
with input from driving instructors,
pediatricians, researchers, behavioral
scientists, and safety engineers,
supplements rather than replaces
what is traditionally provided through
commercial and high school-based
driver education programs. One State
Farm official refers to Road Trips as
a “bridge between driver education
instructors and parents by providing
parents an easy-to-use approach
aimed at maximizing the efficiency and
effectiveness of supervised driving
practice.”
Road Trips uses a four-step process –
74
learn, plan, practice, and log – to help
parents help their teens build skill over
time. A closer look at the program
reveals that each of the steps is
carefully designed to ensure that teens
not only try on new skills, but practice
them over time and receive feedback
before progressing to the next. A staff
member at CHOP’s Center for Injury
Research and Prevention compared
it to what marathoners typically do to
prepare for a race – they gradually
work up to longer and longer runs,
as well as use other techniques (e.g.,
weight training, nutrition) to become
tops in their sport.
To ensure drivers in training stay on
track, everything is logged into Road
Trips (time of day, length of trip, weather
conditions, roadway type) and tutorials
Road Trips & Steer Clear: Promoting Practice & Safety
4
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75
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Road Trips & Steer Clear: Promoting Practice & Safety
for parents are provided to help
break down the skills young drivers
need to learn. Pre-trip planning
is emphasized as a way to get the
most out of every practice drive and
printable tip sheets are available
for use in the car. Once a teen is
ready to move onto the next stage
of licensure (parent permitting), he
can print out a complete summary
of driving (type and accumulated
time) for submission to the DMV.
In the meantime, however, the log
is a valuable tool for monitoring
what has been practiced and
accomplished to date as well as
what has yet to be addressed in
preparation for eventual licensure.
While Road Trips is available to
anyone with a computer (parents
do not have to be insured with the
company), State Farm recognizes
that parents are the greatest
influencer when it comes to
their teens. As early as 1999,
the insurance company began
offering the Steer Clear Driver
Discount program for qualifying
drivers ages 16-24. The program
can be accessed online, through
an iPhone or Android mobile app,
or in paper form through a State
Farm agent. It includes a parent/
teen driving agreement (for teens
18 and younger; drivers 19 and
older are required to adhere
to a safe driving pledge), a trip
log that promotes a minimum
of 20 practice driving trips, a
passenger assessment log (for the
supervising driver), and a driver
self-assessment survey, which
must be completed and submitted
before the Steer Clear discount is
applied. The driver must be free
of at-fault crashes and moving
violations for three years prior to
entering the program and remain
so through the duration.
Promising Parent Programs
Steer Clear is a
popular program
among families
insured by State
Farm. This is a
testament to the
ability to leverage
the pocketbook
to effectively
engage parents in
making teen
driver safety
a priority.
4
Steer Clear is a popular program
among families insured by State
Farm. This is a testament to the
ability to leverage the pocketbook
to effectively engage parents
in making teen driver safety a
priority. With 17,800 agents, there
is a veritable army of teen driving
advocates available to help parents
recognize the critical role they play
in partnering with their teens to
ensure they build skill and become
safe drivers. Agents have access
to an internal website that includes
a teen driving section, as well as
a variety of tools and resources
ranging from sample tweets and
Facebook posts to brochures and
giveaways. “Lots of agents are
involved in their communities and
speak at schools and clubs; they
recognize they’re a significant
influencer with parents,” said the
State Farm official. l
Key Contacts
Vicki Harper
State Farm
309-766-9743
vicki.harper.hycc@statefarm.com
77
Chapter Four
Promising Parent Programs
Apps & In-Vehicle Cameras:
Checking Up
on Your Teen
Has the following elements of a good parent program:
✔✔Discusses the risks for novice teen drivers
(Teen Safe Driver Program )
✔✔Reviews the critical role parents play in teaching, supporting
& managing their novice drivers (Teen Safe Driver Program only)
✔✔Emphasizes parents and teens working together for safety
(Teen Safe Driver Program only)
State Farm also recently launched a
mobile app, Driver Feedback™, designed
to measure what NHTSA calls three
of the riskiest driving behaviors – hard
acceleration and deceleration, and
hard swerves. The technology, which is
available in the Apple and Android app
stores, measures acceleration, braking
and cornering and provides a score for
each as well as an overall score (up to
100) for each trip the driver records.
While it’s designed for all drivers, it can
be particularly helpful for teens. This
“impartial person in the car,” noted a
State Farm official, “can help reinforce
what a parent is attempting to point
out to a novice driver such as you’re
braking too suddenly.” Driver education
professionals, she added, test drove the
app and found it useful for this purpose.
Another insurance company, American
Family, has also invested heavily in
helping parents monitor the driving
of their newly licensed teens through
78
its free Teen Safe Driver Program.
A motion sensor device (DriveCam)
is installed (at no cost) near the
rear-view mirror in vehicles driven by
participating teens. When triggered
by an erratic movement such as
swerving, hard braking and sudden
acceleration, the device records sights
and sounds occurring both inside and
outside the vehicle. When the device
is triggered, the images and sounds
are sent wirelessly to the Teen Safe
Driver Center, where professional
driving coaches review the footage.
Parents can log into a confidential
website, referred to as the dashboard,
to see how their teen is doing in
comparison to their peers as well as
review a weekly report card, sent via
email, featuring video footage and an
objective assessment of their teen
driver’s performance (American Family
Insurance [AFI], 2013).
To date, the direct feedback, which
Apps & In-Vehicle Cameras: Checking Up on Your Teen
4
Promising Parent Programs
both parents and teens can view, is
having a positive impact. Since the
program started, more than 10,000
families have enrolled resulting in
a 70% decrease in risky driving
behaviors and a 96% increase in seat
belt use. One parent calls it a “winwin,” while another admitted that he’s
now “sleeping better” (AFI, 2012b).
Families enrolled in the program
receive a discount (currently only
available in Minnesota and Colorado)
based on their participation, not their
experience rating. That’s because all
of the information recorded via the
sensors as well as the professional
assessments remain confidential and
are not shared with American Family
(AFI, 2013). (American Family receives
aggregated data, which is used to help
evolve the program and the company’s
message to parents and teens.) That’s
okay with the insurance company,
because the primary purpose of the
Teen Safe Driver Program is to help
educate teens and parents on the
perils of risky driving and ensure the
safety of its customers. l
Key Contacts
Vicki Harper
State Farm
309-766-9743
vicki.harper.hycc@statefarm.com
Alexandra Aulisi
American Family Insurance
608-242-4100, X38077
aaulisi@amfam.com
79
Chapter Four
Promising Parent Programs
Illinois & New York:
Electronic
Parent Alerts
Has the following elements of a good parent program:
✔✔Discusses the risks for novice teen drivers
✔✔Reviews the critical role parents play in teaching, supporting
& managing their novice drivers
✔✔Emphasizes parents and teens working together for safety
(Teen Safe Driver Program only)
Getting parents up to speed on the risks
for teen drivers as well as how best to
protect them through the enforcement
of GDL provisions and positive parenting
and coaching are proven to work. And
while the use of in-car technologies
such as the one employed by American
Family show promise in helping parents
get their teens through the first and
riskiest year of independent driving,
some states are using a less invasive
way to help parents keep tabs on their
novice drivers.
In Illinois, for example, a week after a
minor teen (under 18) obtains a permit,
his parents receive a letter containing
a Unique Identification Number or PIN
that gives them access to their teen’s
driving record. First, however, they
must visit cyberdriveillinois.com, the
state’s online portal for conducting
business with the Secretary of State’s
Office, which has responsibility for
licensure. Once registered, parents
can check their teen’s drivers license
80
status, which includes any traffic
convictions and supervisions, accidents,
license suspensions or revocations,
and other actions. Illinois state officials
estimate that parents initiate up to
200,000 checks annually.
As an added fail-safe, under the
state’s GDL law, which was enhanced
in 2008, when a teen under 18
years of age is convicted of a moving
violation, a warning letter is mailed
to his or her parents. While state
officials acknowledge that there
is nothing stopping a teen from
intercepting the letter, the warning
is also posted on the teen’s driving
record for parental access.
A similar program is also online in
New York. TEENS (Teen Electronic
Event Notification System) allows the
parent or guardian of a New York State
permit, driver license or non-driver
photo ID card holder who is under 17
years of age, to sign up for e-mail and/
4
Electronic Parent Alerts
Promising Parent Programs
or mail notices when a motor
vehicle crash; moving violation
conviction; or suspension or
revocation of a permit, driver
license or driving privileges
are entered on a teen’s
driving record. Parents may
automatically enroll to receive
notices from TEENS when
their novice drivers apply for a
permit. SHSO officials (who
are based in the department
of motor vehicles) estimate
approximate 6,000 parents
enroll monthly. Once a teen
turns 18, their notification status
becomes inactive, but until then
there are more than 50,000
active participants in the TEENS
database. l
Key Contacts
Debbie Fleck
Illinois Secretary of State/Driver Services
217-782-2952
dfleck@ilsos.net
Chuck Conroy
New York Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee
518-486-1920
cconroy1@dmv.state.ny.us
81
Chapter Four
Promising Parent Programs
Michigan:
STOPPED Decals
Has the following elements of a good parent program:
✔✔Discusses the risks for novice teen drivers
✔✔Reviews the critical role parents play in teaching,
supporting & managing their novice drivers
✔✔Emphasizes parents and teens working together for safety
Another approach that has its roots in
Onondaga County, New York, but has
since gone statewide in Michigan (and
is in active in counties in other states
including Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio,
and Wyoming) earned a 2011 Bright
Idea Award from the Ash Center for
Democratic Governance and Innovation
at Harvard University’s JFK School
of Government. Dubbed STOPPED,
the Sheriffs Telling Our Parents &
Promoting Educated Drivers program
is a voluntary parental notification
system that involves nothing more than
affixing a small decal to the upper
left side of the windshield of each
registered vehicle operated by a driver
under 21. If the vehicle is stopped
by sheriff’s deputies or any other law
enforcement officer participating in
the program, for any reason when a
young driver is behind the wheel, the
parent is notified whether a citation is
issued or not. This “allows [parent] to
enforce their rules of the road, which
are often much tougher than those
imposed by Michigan’s motor vehicle
code” (Michigan Sheriffs’ Association
[MSA], 2011).
82
“We view it as partnering with parents
to enforce their supervisory role,” said
the executive director of the Michigan
Sheriffs’ Association. “It’s not about
catching kids, but keeping them safe.”
The program, which the association
initiated in Michigan in 2005 with
funding from AAA (it is now funded by
State Farm), focuses on addressing
poor driving habits early so that they
don’t stick with a teen throughout his or
her lifetime. Association officials point
out that teens can hide infractions like
speeding, which can lead to crashes,
from their parents because Michigan
law doesn’t require parent notification.
That can lead to an escalation in
unsafe behaviors that can be deadly
(MSA, 2011).
Parents learn about the program
through information provided at state
licensing agencies, public presentations,
driver education programs, police
departments, and parent organization
newsletters. They may register online
(http://stopped.michigansheriff.com),
at any Sheriff’s office or via a toll-free
number and decals are then mailed to
4
STOPPED Decals
the address provided by the parent.
If a traffic stop involving a registered
vehicle is made, the officer can either
complete a notification card, which
notes the time and location of the
stop, the driver’s name and number of
passengers in the vehicle, reason for
the stop, and whether any citations
were issued, or click on the STOPPED
shield that can be found on the main
screen of the unit’s mobile data
terminal and enter the information
electronically. The notification is
mailed or emailed directly to the parent
who completed the registration form.
Promising Parent Programs
In eight years
we’ve never had
a report of a car
with a STOPPED
sticker being
pulled out of a
ditch or a death
notice delivered
to a parent
whose vehicles
are enrolled in
the program.
“In eight years, with over 25,000
vehicles registered, we’ve never had
a report of a car with a STOPPED
sticker being pulled out of a ditch or
a death notice delivered to a parent
whose vehicles are enrolled in the
program – despite only having sent
fourteen letters home to parents,”
said the Sheriffs’ Association
executive (MSA, 2012). In fact, the
program, he noted, often prompts
teens to fess up when they behave
poorly behind the wheel. He recalled
a mother who called to say that the
program didn’t work because she
didn’t receive a letter despite her son
being stopped. “When I pressed her
about how she knew that, she said
her teen told her. I responded, sounds
like it did.”
While the program has yet to go
nationwide, the head of the Michigan
Sheriffs’ Association said he looks
forward to the day when parents in
Michigan will be able to register their
vehicles and receive feedback on their
teen’s driving even if they’re pulled
over in another state. l
Key Contact
Terrence Jungel
Michigan Sheriffs’ Association
517-485-3135
tjungel@misheriff.org
83
Chapter Four
Promising Parent Programs
Drive It Home:
Parent Website
Has the following elements of a good parent program:
✔✔Discusses the risks for novice teen drivers
✔✔Explains how and why GDL works to address that risk
✔✔Reviews the critical role parents play in teaching,
supporting & managing their novice drivers
✔✔Explains the importance of and provides an opportunity to
try out a parent/teen driving agreement
✔✔Employs a theory-based program model that includes
ongoing evaluation
✔✔Emphasizes parents and teens working together for safety
The Internet is a helpful tool for finding information about teen driving. But as
noted earlier in this report, it can be overwhelming to sort through the volume of
material that is available as well as determine what resources are best. For states
looking to leverage the Internet to impart teen driving information to parents, what
should be considered when building (or linking to) a site so that parents not only
find it, but stay and come back in the future? And more importantly, are they
provided information that is helpful and evidence-based?
The National Safety Council, in partnership with The Allstate Foundation, GM
Foundation, Toyota Foundation, and AT&T Foundation, and other donors, has
launched a new website to help parents keep their new teen drivers safe. Drive it
Home was built based on extensive research, including focus groups with parents,
and uses a variety of approaches to engage and educate. The website’s content
is built around five key themes (NSC, 2012):
84
zz
Parents want what’s best for their children including keeping them safe
after they get their driver’s license.
zz
Car crashes are the leading cause of teen death, but a parent’s
influence can make the difference.
zz
Teen drivers are inexperienced and everyone’s teen makes mistakes.
Parents are the experienced co-pilots who can help teens get the
experience they need by riding with them regularly.
4
Promising Parent Programs
The National
Safety Council’s
goal is to reach
at least one
million parents
and effectively
change
behaviors
consistent with
the proven
principals of
graduated driver
licensing.
zz
Parents are coaches and must teach teens the right things, in an
effective way.
zz
Parents have the authority to make and enforce the rules addressing
the principal risks for teens – passengers, nighttime driving, cell
phones/texting, and create stricter family rules, if necessary, than
state laws allow.
The website uses minimal copy coupled
with eye-catching design and interactive
tools to convey this information to
parents. The tone is peer-to-peer rather
than authoritarian. Additionally, short
videos that are simultaneously quirky,
humorous, emotional, and informative
to appeal to the four parenting styles
(authoritative, authoritarian, uninvolved,
permissive) were created specifically
for the website. Parents also have
the ability to engage with each other
through the community discussion
board, register to receive weekly tips to
help them coach their new driver and
download a customizable parent/teen
driving agreement.
Since the website is new its impact
has yet to be measured. The National
Safety Council’s goal is to reach at
least one million parents and effectively
change behaviors consistent with
the proven principals of graduated
driver licensing. Will the initiative
be successful? Only time, along
with ongoing research that includes
parent feedback, will tell. Just like
the programs detailed previously in
this section, evaluation is essential
for ensuring that the intervention
is positively impacting the desired
outcomes. l
Key Contact
Alex Epstein
National Safety Council
630-775-2128
alex.epstein@nsc.org
85
Promoting Parent Involvement in Teen Driving
Conclusion
Where Do We Go From Here?
Parents play a critical role in helping their teens survive
their most dangerous driving years. The more actively
involved parents are in coaching, supporting and
monitoring their new drivers, the less likely teens will be
to engage in risky behaviors that lead to crashes. The
opportunity and challenge is to help parents take the
lead in helping their teens build skill and become, through
extensive practice and ongoing coaching, safe drivers.
Equipping parents with the knowledge and tools to help their teens is essential.
State highway safety offices and others working in teen driving must do more
to promote graduated driver licensing, not as a legislative mandate, but as a
parent support program. Helping parents connect the dots between the proven
provisions of GDL and their own teens’ safety is essential for garnering their buyin and enforcement of both the time and restriction elements. At the same time,
parents should be made aware of any deficiencies in their state’s GDL law and
what they should do to supplement those shortcomings. And most importantly,
parents must understand that it’s their responsibility to determine their teens’
readiness to drive by considering much more than a birth date.
Government, non-profit and commercial entities are investing millions to develop
and disseminate teen driving information to parents through programs, websites
and printed materials. Ensuring that the information being dispensed is not only
accurate, relevant and helpful, but based on sound-science is essential. A state
interested in using and/or adopting an existing initiative would do well to review
it with a critical eye and question the research used in its development and
evaluation as well as what metrics are measured and how. For states looking to
86
Conclusion
build their own program, incorporating
all of the essential elements of a good
program is strongly recommended to
ensure a real and measurable effect.
Additionally, research confirms
that encouraging the adoption of
an authoritative parenting style
along with the use of a parent/teen
driving agreement through facilitated
guidance, prompts greater parent
engagement and less risk taking
by teens. Despite misgiving about
requiring parents and teens to attend
programs, state legislatures must come
to recognize that their constituents
overwhelmingly appreciate the
information they receive and deem it
invaluable for protecting their teens.
More should be done to create a
clamor for this and other evidencebased educational programs, either
through a mandate, the media or some
other means.
While significant resources have been
devoted to teen driving research, further
study is needed to determine when
is the best time to reach parents with
critical teen driving information. Is this
before teens begin learning to drive, prior
to intermediate licensure or at various
times throughout a GDL program? Who
are the most appropriate individuals
to educate and engage parents –
physicians, insurance agents, driver
education professionals, other parents?
And what, if anything, is being done to
reach the parents of teens in culturally
diverse communities and households
where English isn’t spoken?
Parents are the primary supervisor
of their child’s practice and early
independent driving. Program
research needs to determine the best
ways to transfer higher order driving
skills, along with the basics, from an
experienced adult to a novice teen
driver. That begs the questions, how
much practice is enough and what
practice is best?
Clearly, more work is needed to
address these and other questions
raised by this report. But what
is certain, is that parents are key
influencers when it comes how their
teens drive. Helping parents make
the most of that role can foster even
greater gains in teen driver safety. l
87
Appendix A
Parent-Targeted Teen Driving Programs
The following is an overview of national initiatives listed by sponsoring organizations that were
developed to foster parental engagement in teen driving. It is by no means all-inclusive, nor does
it suggest endorsement of any of these programs by GHSA, State Farm, the author of this report
or the expert panel members. The information is provided only as a resource to readers who may
be interested in learning more about a particular initiative.
AAA
Keys2Drive www.teendriving.aaa.com
The program is designed to help parents help their teens prepare for licensure. Parents are prompted to type in
their state upon visiting the site, which brings up state specific information (e.g., GDL law, sample written exam
questions). The site features a sample parent/teen driving agreement, the Dare to Prepare workshop (getting
educated prior to beginning the permit phase of licensure), and StartSmart, a passive version of the Checkpoints ™
program, which features newsletters and the parent/teen driving agreement.
Allstate & The Allstate Foundation
Teen Driving/Under Your Influence www.allstateteendriver.com
Teen Safe Driving Program www.allstatefoundation.org/teen-driving
This teen driver website includes a section for parents that promotes the influence parents have over their novice
drivers, while the Teen Safe Driving Program features tips for parents, a sample parent/teen driving agreement
localized by state, parent research, and information on graduated driver licensing including a link to state programs.
American Driver & Traffic Safety Education Association
Parent/Mentor Home Practice Guide http://adtsea.iup.edu
This skills log is designed to help parents conduct at least 50 hours of in-car instruction with their teens. The 40
lessons progress from pre-driving checks/adjustments and basic maneuvering to driving in various types of traffic,
environments and weather conditions. Emphasis is also placed on helping the novice develop visual search skills,
essential for safe driving. Each lesson includes coaching information and a checklist to monitor progress.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Parents are the Key www.cdc.gov/ParentsAreTheKey/
This initiative, which was piloted tested in two communities, consists of numerous tools (e.g., implementation, media
and event planning guides; fact sheets; sample parent/teen driving agreement; parent pledge; posters; flyers;
postcards) designed to help parents, pediatricians, businesses and community groups mount a teen safe driving
campaign promoting the importance of parents. All materials are free and may be downloaded (hard copies may
also be ordered from the website) and customized. Materials are available in both English and Spanish.
The Center for Injury Research & Prevention, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
Teendriversource: Research Put into Action www.teendriversource.org
The content on this research-based website is organized by stakeholder – parents, teens, educators. researchers,
policymakers – and contains information on cutting-edge research and evaluated strategies, as well as practical
resources to download. The “I support and educate parents” section of the website contains numerous tip sheets,
reports, PowerPoint presentations, parent/teen activities, and other tools in both English and Spanish that may
be adopted for use in community or school-based settings. The site has HONcode Certification that it meets
international standards for trustworthy health information.
Farmers Insurance
Teen Driver/YES http://www.farmers.com/teen_drivers.html
This parent specific section of the Farmers website, encourages moms and dads to phase in driving privileges, be
clear on the rules, spell out consequences, and choose the right vehicle. Additionally, it promotes the critical role
parents play in helping their teens become safe drivers through the Y.E.S. (You’re Essential to Safety) program.
Working together families get the facts, read stories and meet teens who have been involved in car crashes.
Following completion of the program, which includes a video, online quiz and agreement, families are eligible for a
policy discount.
Ford
Driving Skills for Life www.drivingskillsforlife.com
This national program, co-developed by GHSA, uses hands-on “ride and drive” events to help novice teen drivers
build skill also educates parents and community members about teen safe driving. The program works closely with
schools and states to educate teens. A parents section on the website features tips as well as a coaching guide that
addresses four key areas – hazard recognition, vehicle handling, space and speed management – that often trip up
teens. Videos designed for viewing by parents and teens together are also provided.
88
Appendix A
From Reid’s Dad
A Blog for Parents of Teen Drivers http://fromreidsdad.org/blog/
Written by Tim Hollister, the father of Reid, a 17-year-old Connecticut teen driver who died in a car crash in 2006,
this award-winning blog focuses on the importance of parents putting the emphasis on supervision first and driving
second. The blog, which launched in September 2009, discusses a myriad of topics including vehicle selection,
effective GDL laws, older licensure for boys, parents as role models, and much more.
MADD
Power of Parents www.madd.org/underage-drinking/the-power-of-parents/workshops
While the focus is on helping parents speak to their kids about underage drinking, this program, based on the
research of Dr. Robert Turrisi and his colleagues at Penn State University, addresses many of the issues discussed
in teen driving parent engagement interventions including parenting styles, being a good role model, establishing
and enforcing rules and consequences, and dealing with peer pressure. Parents may request the free Parent
Handbook for Talking With Teens About Alcohol from the website and/or locate a free, 30-minute, facilitated
Power of Parents program offered in community-based settings.
Nationwide
Auto Insurance for Teen Drivers www.nationwide.com/teen-car-insurance.jsp
This webpage provides short articles to help parents understand teen decision making as well as help them practice
driving. The role of parents is discussed along with parent/teen driving agreements and distractions that trip up teens.
National Safety Council
Teen Driving Parents/Alive at 25 www.nsc.org/safety_road/TeenDriving/Pages/WhatParentsCanDo.aspx
This section of the NSC website addresses what parents can do to protect their teen drivers (e.g., know the risks,
practice, establish and enforce rules, stay engaged) and includes a link to the Checkpoints parent/teen driving
agreement, a teen safe driving blog, and the Alive at 25 program. The latter includes a one-hour parent education
program that works in consort with the 4-hour teen defensive driving program and includes the comprehensive
publication, Teen Driver: A Family Guide to Teen Safe Driving.
NHTSA
Parents Central, Keeping Kids Safe www.safercar.gov/parents
This website addresses traffic safety from infancy through young adulthood, with a focus on what parents should
know before handing over the keys once a teen is ready to drive. The site discusses GDL laws, establishing ground
rules, the importance of being a good role model, the limitations of driver education, and common safety problems
for novice drivers (e.g., seat belts, distraction, alcohol).
NOYS
Under Your Influence www.underyourinfluence.org
The National Organization for Youth Safety’s parent website addresses the influence parents have over their teens
by promoting involvement and guidance. Parents may download a free toolkit that includes links to numerous
resources, programs and publications addressing driver education, distracted driving, vehicle maintenance, and
model parent/teen driving agreements, as well as sign-up to receive a free newsletter and test their knowledge of
teen driving via an interactive quiz.
SADD
ParentTeenMatters www.sadd.org/ptm/index.html
This Students Against Destructive Decisions parent portal focuses on three key areas: underage drinking and other
drug use, empowerment and parental involvement, and driving. The driving section encourages parents to take
three critical action steps – be a good role model, know the law and join with others in the community. Parents may
sign up to receive a free e-newsletter.
SafeKids USA
Countdown2Drive www.Countdown2Drive.org
The interactive program, developed in partnership with CHOP, is designed for families with pre-driving teens and
uses the development of a passenger agreement as a way to bridge the gap between no longer riding with mom
and dad and becoming licensed drivers. The focus is on setting a tone of mutual respect as parents and teens work
together at home or in a community-based setting.
State Farm
Teen Driver Safety Website www.teendriving.statefarm.com
The site provides a comprehensive suite of free tools, tips, and resources designed to help teens and their parents
throughout the learning-to-drive process. Programs such as Road Trips, Road Aware, and Driver Feedback can be
accessed. Visitors can also find out more information on other State Farm efforts, such as Celebrate My Drive®,
and auto insurance discounts, such as Steer Clear.
89
Appendix B
A Program Theory Model for
Developing a Parent-Teen Intervention
A Six-Step Approach
1. Set a key health outcome – a clearly defined and measurable long-term vision.
First, when it comes to establishing a key health outcome (or long-term vision), it’s okay to think big. Wanting to put
an end to teen crashes and the resulting injuries and fatalities links directly to the Zero Fatalities initiative that has
been embraced at both the state and national level. And it’s measurable – crash data is collected by age (and may,
in some states, be collected by license type as well), which allows for an assessment of whether an intervention is
helping to contribute (even indirectly) to a reduction in teen crashes.
2. Identify behavioral objectives linked to the key health outcome.
Behavioral objectives, just like the key health outcome, must be clear. They need to specify who is being targeted
(parents) and what they’re expected to do (e.g., know their state’s GDL law and enforce the proven provisions, be
good role models). What is critical here is ensuring that the objectives are “based on a clear understanding of the
associated risk and protective factors for the specified health outcome as well as the social and developmental
context in which the behaviors are performed” (Winston, Jacobsohn, & Hafetz, 2009). For states, this means
the objective being a good role model, for example, links back to the key outcome of reducing teen crash risk
(research shows that teens emulate their parents’ driving behaviors). If this and other behavioral objectives lead to
a key outcome, prioritizing which outcomes have the greatest impact is important along with determining if certain
outcomes work better with particular demographic groups (Winston et al., 2009).
3. Identify the target constructs that influence adoption of the behavioral objectives.
Constructs are essentially the current knowledge, beliefs and skills of the audience whose behavior is being
influenced. These are impacted by things like norms and self-efficacy. This is the point where states may throw up
their hands and say this is way too complicated. But what states need to find out is what parents already know
and believe about teen driving, what is influencing that understanding (e.g., their adult peers, their exposure to teen
driving information, cultural beliefs) and whether they have the ability and motivation (self-efficacy) to change. For
example, if parents believe that GDL is a punitive program, moving from their current belief to the desired target
construct would involve helping them understand that GDL actively supports parents’ efforts to keep their teen
drivers safe. If a parent is open to hearing and receiving this information, it could lead to the adoption of a behavioral
objective (e.g., know and support the GDL and enforce the proven provisions).
4. Design and develop intervention content that address the constructs.
How states design and develop the intervention content so that it addresses the target constructs and ultimately leads
parents to try on and adopt a particular behavior is next. Using the Checkpoints program (referenced previously
in this report) as an example, parents and teens learn about the risks for newly licensed teens – driving at night, on
high-speed roads, in inclement weather, with passengers – and how GDL programs address some but not all of that
risk (e.g., limit passengers, restrict night time driving). Supplementing the GDL provisions, which parents may or may
not like (their current constructs), with stricter limitations is the behavioral objective. To influence parent adoption
of that behavior, the facilitator uses a particular intervention or tool, in this case discussion and completion of one
section of the parent/teen agreement, to help them get comfortable with this new way of thinking and acting. Prior to
participating in the individual exercise, everyone participates in facilitated discussion, which uses compelling teen driver
research findings to explain and reinforce the risks.
What is critical to understand at this point is that the construct that compels parents to adopt behavioral objectives is
impacted by situational leadership. Situational leadership is particularly important because it speaks directly to the
need to adapt to the individual learner’s level of motivation and ability in order to effectively teach, train and/or guide.
Situational leadership acknowledges that no single approach works best, that the facilitator’s success is dependent on
90
Appendix B
each participant’s receptivity and capabilities, and that there are four distinct approaches that should be considered
when attempting to engage the audience delegating, supporting, coaching, and directing (Knezek, 2012).
These approaches can each be linked to one of four research-based parenting styles (see page 11 for the importance
of parenting styles):
1. delegating authoritative
2. supporting authoritarian
3. coaching permissive
4. directing uninvolved.
Looking at just one style, uninvolved for example, the facilitator recognizes that this parent is unwilling, unable and
possibly insecure about supporting his young driver, so informing and instructing this parent is most appropriate
(Knezek, 2012). Tying this to the parent/teen driving agreement exercise used in the Checkpoints program, this
parent will need the facilitator to describe the task in detail, as well as direct and support his participation.
Regardless of parenting style, combining situational leadership with accelerated learning, where participants are
given multiple opportunities to learn and grow in a positive environment, is something else states should consider.
Additionally, presenting information from a positive or gain-framed rather than a negative or loss-framed perspective
is proven to help individuals move beyond particular beliefs and tap into their full potential (Knezek, 2012; O’Keefe &
Jensen, 2007). For instance, teen drivers who are monitored by their parents are less likely to crash versus teens
are more likely to crash when their parents aren’t involved. Accelerated learning also recognizes the importance of
collaboration, learning by doing (with feedback), making concepts concrete, and taking into account not just the braincentered aspect of learning but the emotional and social impacts as well (International Alliance for Learning, 2011).
This speaks to the need for states to be sensitive to the tone and delivery of the intervention as well as the importance
of the person tapped to facilitate the program.
Thus states should always build their interventions with input from facilitators and their target audience. This should
include soliciting stakeholder input on everything from usability, format and delivery channel, to the messages,
language and supporting materials. Piloting the intervention with a small segment of the target audience before
going mainstream will enable a state to determine what is and isn’t working and make adjustments accordingly. This
trial and error approach, may lengthen the time between program development and full implementation, but it will
pay dividends in the long run.
5. & 6. Evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions and refine the interventions and
behavior change model, as needed.
The remaining steps are evaluating the evaluations and refinement. When it comes to evaluation, the focus
should always be on uncovering whether the intervention leads to the desired outcome. That exposure could lead
to scrapping the entire program and starting over or simply retooling a particular intervention. As the program
is refined, evaluation continues and is never static. The goal is to provide the best program possible so that it
produces the desired key outcomes and can be used by others attempting to reach similar audiences. Not only will
you tweak intervention components, you will likely refine your target constructs and the behavioral objectives.
Additionally, states should keep tabs on new research as well as changes to GDL and others laws that impact teen
drivers. And adapt the program accordingly. These new developments could impact normative behaviors making a
particular target construct no longer necessary.
For more information on using program theory, refer to Winston and Jacobsohn’s 2010 Injury Prevention article, A
Practical Approach for Applying Best Practices in Behavioral Interventions to Injury Prevention, as well as http://
www.cdc.gov/eval/resources/index.htm and www.teendriversource.org.
91
92
Appendix C
Appendix C
A Caution About Using
Pre- and Post-Test Evaluation Tools
The use of pre- and post-test knowledge tests or surveys is a simple, low-cost way to
method for determining if individuals participating in an intervention are gaining a better
understanding of key information and concepts or likely to adopt and/or change behaviors.
Most providers administer a pencil and paper survey at the beginning and end of the
program and then compare the data. This can be helpful for ongoing program evaluation.
A word of caution, however. The participant’s perception of the construct being assessed
may change due to their participation in the intervention. Traditional pre- and post-test
measures assume that the respondent’s assessment and understanding of the concept
being measured won’t change from the pre- to the post-test. This could result in an
underreporting of any change between the pre- and post-test (Drennan & Hyde, 2008).
Why does this happen? Researchers explain that the participants are essentially rating
their knowledge of or ability to do something at the time of the post-test “on a different
dimension” than they did at the time of the pre-test. This occurs because they’ve gained a
better understanding of the construct the provider is attempting to influence and/or change
(Drennan et al., 2008). This is what is known as response-shift bias. And what the posttests may reveal, to the dismay of the provider, is that participants’ understanding changed
only slightly or didn’t change at all.
To counteract this, some researchers suggest using a retrospective test, which asks
participants to think back to what they knew or did at beginning of the program and
compare it with what they know or do now. This “then-test” is administered at the same
time as the post-test to ensure that the participant is using “the same internal frame of
reference.” (Drennan et al., 2008). This evaluation method can be a more reliable indicator
of whether a particular educational intervention did, in fact, prompt a behavioral change on
the part of the participants (Drennan et al., 2008).
93
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